Something's Got to Give
by RingosGarden
Summary: AKA Taylor Black and the Goblet of Fire. Part Four of the Taylor Black Saga. I strongly recommend reading the series in order: A Day in the Life, Like Father Like Daughter and Summer at Snape's.
1. The Burrow

**AKA Taylor Black and the Goblet of Fire**

**1. Usual disclaimer than I own very little. Alternate plot and new characters**

**2. Sorry about the wait.**

**3. Sorry about any future wait**

**4. I still love you all.**

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"_You don't mind that I go?" I ask Snape, looking up from the invitation to the Quidditch World Cup and spending the rest of the summer at the Weasleys._

"_Of course not, Tay," Snape replies with a smile. "I will see you at school remember. I'm perfectly capable of living on my own."_

_I shake my head at him and write a quick response to George, telling him that I'll Floo to his place at noon tomorrow._

"_You should pack all your belongings now, so you won't be rushed in the morning," Snape says when Onyx is out of sight._

"_Yeah," I agree and head upstairs to the room that I had been staying in for the summer. All my school supplies and wizard robes I place inside of my trunk. Everything else, I place in a compartment of the magical case that I own, putting all the letters I've received this summer in their own separate compartment, and my trunk inside of the largest compartment of the case._

_Picking up a stack of books from Snape's library that I seem to have acquired, I head back downstairs. Snape is sitting in an armchair when I walk into the library, looking out the window to his left._

"_Hey," I state, placing the books down on a table, and beginning to place them back where they belong._

_He looks at the table and then back at me. "All of those were in your room?"_

"_Apparently," I reply. "I had no idea that I had gathered so many of your books."_

_When I finish placing the books back onto the shelves that they belong on, I take the seat across from Snape, looking out the window that he had previously been looking at. "Venus is bright tonight."_

_He nods at me in agreement._

"_As is Mars." Yet again, he nods._

"_Pluto too," when he nods for a third time, I wave my hand in front of him. "You're not listening at all, Severus," I state with a smile._

"_Sorry," he says, looking at me._

"_What's wrong?" I ask him softly._

_He stands up quickly from the table. "It's nearly twelve…you should be getting to sleep._

"_Sev-"_

_He stops at the doorway, but doesn't turn around. "Give your father…and Lupin… a chance to be in your life, Taylor…Having you here has made me wish…what I've missed out on…I'll see you in the morning."_

_I watch as he leaves, going over what he had just said. With how Snape distances himself from people, it surprises me that he possibly regrets not having a family of his own. With his stoicism, sometimes I forget how human he actually is._

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_

"_So," I state, standing in front of the fire with my case strapped to my back. Snape is standing in front of me, watching me closely._

"_You're going to be late," he finally says._

_I shrug and look down at my feet. "I'm okay with that."_

_Snape sighs and walks towards me. "You're going to have fun, and I will see you in about a week, so stop this."_

"_You're right," I reply, smiling up at him._

"_Here," he says, handing me a leather bound journal. "I picked this up for you in Diagon Alley."_

_I pause for a moment as he pulls me into a hug and then I return the gesture. "Thank you," I tell him. "For everything."_

_He pulls away and shakes his head at me. "Believe me, it was no problem. Now get going, you wouldn't want to keep George waiting any longer, now would you?"_

"_Asshole."_

"_Now is that what you want to leave with?"_

"_Yup," I state with a smirk and throw a handful of Floo powder into the fire. "The Burrow," I say as I step into the green flames._

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_

When the fire spits me out into the Weasley's house, George is standing right in front of me.

"Hey you," George says with a large smile.

I quickly wrap my arms around his neck and he hugs me tightly, spinning me in a circle. He places me back on the ground and relaxes his grip on me.

"You're wearing your necklace," he says as we both still hold on to each other.

"Every day," I reply with a smile.

He gives a small laugh and leans in to kiss me. I get quickly distracted at the feel of his arms around my waist and his lips on my own.

"So do we all get the same greeting?"

I jump away from George and turn to the right where the voice had come from. Standing in the doorway between the living room and the kitchen are the oldest two of the Weasley brothers.

From the wink I received from the younger of the two, I'm guessing he's the one who asked the question.

"Charlie, I presume," I say walking over to him.

"You never answered the question," he says with a smirk.

"It's kind of rude to ignore a question," Bill says to Charlie's left.

I smirk at him. "It's kind of rude to skip over introductions and go straight on to sexual jokes."

"Right you are," Charlie says, holding out his hand. "Charles Weasley, pleasure to make your acquaintance."

When he lets go of my hand, Bill takes it, placing a kiss on it. "William Weasley."

"Taylor Black," I state, pulling my hand away from Bill and smiling at his reaction to my last name. "Don't you two have better things to do than to be obnoxious to a fourteen year-old, escaped convict's daughter and girlfriend of your younger brother?"

"Girlfriend?" George asks from behind me, where he had chosen to stay to watch the interaction I had with his brothers.

I cringe as Charlie and Bill raise their eyebrows at me before walking into the kitchen to leave George and me alone to talk.

"If you still want to," I state with a shrug, turning to face him.

He doesn't respond and I look at him in confusion as he walks over to me.

"What?" I ask as he looks down at his feet

"Well," he says slowly, taking my hands in his and looking back up at me. "Would you want to officially be my girlfriend?"

"Are you asking me to be?" I ask with a smile.

"I guess that's what I'm doing."

"Then I guess I'll have to accept," I reply, leaning into his kiss.

A chorus of 'ew' and 'gross' come from the staircase and George and I look up to see Fred, Ron, Hermione and Ginny all watching from the banister. Harry will be coming at five tomorrow.

"Mature," George states, sitting down on the couch as I greet them.

"So…" Ginny states slowly, looking at me with a grin. "Quick question for you?"

"What is it?"

"I'm just wondering which of my brothers you're going to kiss next?"

Ginny squeals as I begin to chase her through the house, leading me outside to where Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were watching Charlie and Bill race each other on broomsticks.

"Wait!" Ginny states, stopping short as I run into her back.

"Yeah?"

"Wanna take this in the air?" She asks with a grin.

"Okay," I reply, taking my case off my back and opening one of the compartments, pulling out my Nimbus and Firebolt. "Which do you want?" I ask, placing my case on the picnic table.

"Are you kidding me?" She asks, grabbing the Firebolt and quickly kicking off.

I follow behind her and quickly catch up. She might have a faster broom than I do, but I've been flying far longer than she has. I pull ahead of her as Mrs. Weasley calls us down for lunch.

"Hey," Charlie states when Ginny and I join he and Bill on the ground. "Do you think I can have a go on your Firebolt when we're done eating?"

"Me too?" Bill asks.

"No problem," I reply, putting both brooms away for now and running upstairs to put my things away in Ginny's room.

Everyone is seated around the picnic table when Ginny and I get back downstairs. I take the seat that George had saved for me, in between him and Fred, and across from Percy as Ginny sits between Percy and Charlie.

"Taylor, how has your summer been?" Mr. Weasley asks me from down the table.

"It's been good, thank you, sir."

"Good?" Ron asks incredulously. "I thought you were spending it with Snape?"

"I did," I reply with a smile at the surprised looks I was receiving from around the table.

"But you've forgotten, Ronnykins," Fred says from beside me. "Taylor here is Snape's most prized pet student."

I don't reply, and turn to Charlie. "So I hear you were quite the seeker."

He shrugs at me, "I was okay. I had a pretty good team. I hear yours was good this year."

"We've been great the past three years…since Harry's been seeker," George states.

"You play Chaser?" Bill asks. When I nod he smiles. "Me too, you any good?"

"Awesome," George replies and I smile up at him.

"Well we'll have to see about that," Bill states.

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**Feels good to be back, folks.**

**Leave me love, and I'll leave you chapters ****J**

**3Tay**


	2. Visit From Remus

**Hello, folks. Here's chapter two. Thanks for the reviews : )**

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After lunch I follow Fred and George up to their room where they explain how some of their new pranks work, leaving my brooms with Charlie and Bill for when they feel like flying. When they finish explaining their pranks, Fred sits beside me on the edge of his bed.

"So how are you doing?" He asks as George sits on the other side of me.

"Pretty good," I reply with a shrug. "My father has been sending me weekly letters after having asked for my autobiography. I think he's afraid I'm evil."

"What do you mean?" George asks.

"Well I told him about all the time I had spent with his mother when I was younger. He wasn't too happy with that…all that pureblood mentality."

"But you are talking," Fred states. "That seems good."

"Sure," I reply as there's a knock at the door and Ginny tells me that her mom would like me.

I look at her in confusion, but follow her downstairs and into the living room where Charlie and Bill are sitting on the couch and Mrs. Weasley is standing before the fire where Remus has just stepped out of.

I stop walking and make to turn back around when Remus tells me to stop.

"What are you doing here?" I ask him coldly.

"I came to talk with you," He replies gently.

"Well I'm not tal-"

"Yes you are," he interrupts sternly. "I have sent you a letter everyday since school break started, and you have yet to reply to even one."

He gestures me outside to where we had had lunch, and after a long hesitation, I follow him, sitting down on top of the picnic table. I fold my arms against my chest and watch as he paces in front of me.

"This isn't easy on me," he suddenly states, turning to face me. "You're basically my daughter."

I don't reply and he walks towards me. "Shutting me out like this doesn't hurt just me, I've gotten letters from Tonks, Severus and your father."

"_I _didn't shut _you_ out!" I reply, standing up. "You weren't even planning on telling me yourself that I wasn't going to be living with you any more. Do you know how much that hurt?"

Remus is quiet and I continue, finally being able to say everything that I've been harboring.

"You're the only father figure that I have ever had. You know that I could care less if you're a werewolf, so what happened on the grounds was a poor reason to suddenly decide that you couldn't take care of me. And money? Are you serious? I have the entire Black family inheritance at my fingertips. I didn't need you to financially support me, I needed you to _emotionally_ support me."

Remus nods at me, massaging the bridge of his nose. I watch as he sits down at the table and I sit next to him, looking down at my feet. "I love you, Remy." When I look to him, I can see that his eyes are watery.

"I thought this would be easier," he says, quietly.

"And is it?" I ask quietly. "Easier?"

He shakes his head and gives a small laugh. "I miss you."

"Me too."

"I want you to come back," Remus says slowly.

I shake my head at him and he looks at me in confusion. "Moony…since I came to live with you, you've been timid and skittish, not knowing what to do with me."

"I don't know how to be a father," he states, looking at his hands.

"You do," I say, and he looks back up at me. "It's just me. You'd be a great father, you just need your own child. One that's not already fucked up."

"You're not fucked up."

"Try telling that to the rest of the world."

He laughs and pulls me into a hug. "You're a great person, Tay."

I pull away and look intently into his eyes. "As are you, Remy."

"Write to me, will you?" He asks, standing up.

"Yeah," I reply. "I suppose if I can write to Padfoot, I can write to you."

"You call your father Padfoot?"

I shrug at him. "I wasn't sure how to address him. And he calls me Adara, it's the least I can do."

He smiles and leans in to kiss me on the forehead. "I'll see you soon," he promises and disapparates from in front of me.

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I sneak quietly out of my bed so I won't wake Ginny or Hermione, glancing at the clock reading 2am, and make my way to the kitchen.

"Want some tea?"

I jump and look towards the living room where Charlie is sitting in front of the fire, a guitar in his lap. He's sitting cross-legged on the couch.

"You scared me," I state, taking a cup out of the cupboard and walking over to him, pouring a cup of tea from the kettle beside him. "I wasn't expecting anyone to be awake."

"What are you doing up?" He asks as I sit down beside him.

"I don't tend to sleep much," I reply. "You?"

"I guess the same," he says, placing the guitar on the floor in front of us.

I place my tea down on the end table to my left, and pick his guitar up, strumming each string individually. "This is Muggle," I state in surprise.

He smiles at me, watching my hands on the strings. "How'd you know that?"

"It's out of tune," I reply, strumming the chords to Bob Dylan's 'A Hard Rain's A-Gonna Fall."

"Dylan, right?"

I stop playing and look at him in surprise. It's not often that I find wizards with similar tastes in Muggle music. "Impressive," I state, putting the guitar back down in front of us and picking my tea back up.

"So how'd you and George get together?"

"We've been friends since we met on the train in my first year. He and I got close to each other when Fred had stopped talking to me, and I guess he's liked me for a while. Last year he became more persistent so I said I'd try dating him."

"Romantic," Charlie says with a laugh. "Why did Fred stop talking to you?"

I turn to him with a smile. "We kissed."

"What?"

I start to laugh. "I was crying and he was comforting me and we accidentally kissed. We were each other's first kiss, and neither one of us had meant to it to happen, and he freaked out a bit."

"You're in Ron's year, right?"

"Yeah," I reply. "Why?"

"You're closer to Fred and George, I just find it interesting."

I shrug at him. "Ron hasn't gotten over my name," I state. "We've have several altercations over it. I have Quidditch with both Fred and George, and we're a lot more alike...I'm better friends with Ginny than Ron as well."

"You're the one who punched Ron in the face in his first year?" He asks with a smile.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

He laughs at me and shakes his head. "Ron was close to Percy growing up. Bill and I were older. Fred and George were obviously close and Ginny's a girl. Unfortunately, it seems that Ron got some of Percy's negative attributes, especially being overly and wrongfully judgmental of people."

I nod in agreement. "Percy has refused to speak to me since I was sorted into Gryffindor. I sat down next to him in my first year and he stood up and moved further down the table."

"He's always had an interesting view on what's important."

"Right. _Interesting_."

We sit in silence for several moments before Charlie places his cup down and looks to me awkwardly.

"So I talked to Fred," he says slowly. "He told me that your father is innocent?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "And you believe him?"

He shrugs at me. "He trusts you…and I trust him…ergo-"

"You trust me?"

"Something like that."

"I find it better when you trust no one," I reply, staring onto the fire.

"You're only fourteen," he replies. "You shouldn't have trust issues yet."

"I'll be fifteen in a month, and I'm not exactly a normal fourteen year-old."

"What's different about you?" he asks me.

I look down at my feet and shake my head at him.

"Come on," he states. "I'm 22 and I have five younger siblings; I've had my fair share of older brother conversations. We're the only ones awake, and I promise I'm trustworthy."

"But what do you care?"

"My brothers and sister apparently care about you," he says with a smile. "Therefore, I care about you."

"Okay," I reply. "So what do you want to know?"

"Why don't you trust people?"

"Many reasons, I guess," I say with a sigh. "My father left me when I was two; granted not entirely his fault. I spent the next four years in an orphanage…I'd rather not get into that one…and then I spent seven years with my godfather, which were great, but at the end of the school year he told me that he couldn't take care of me anymore…I think those are the main reasons…"

"Well I think that's reason enough," he says slowly. "Orphanage was bad I take it?"

I shrug at him and he nods.

"Have you ever talked about it?" He asks me.

"Not really," I reply. "Apart from yelling at Trelawney about it. I've mentioned some to Remus and Severus…and glossed it over for my father. After reading my journal, George knows about one event."

"Well…if you ever want to get it all out…feel free to talk to me. I've been told that I'm easy to talk to. Sometimes it's easier to talk to someone who you don't know all that well."

"Thanks Charlie," I say standing up. "I should probably get to bed."

"Me too," he says, standing as well. "Walk you to your room?"

I shrug, placing my cup in the kitchen sink and wait as Charlie rinses out his teakettle. We walk up the stairs in silence and I whisper goodbye to him as I reach Ginny's door.

"You don't want a goodnight kiss?" He whispers back, raising his eyebrow.

I shake my head at him. "Why don't you wait 'til I'm legal…and not dating your brother."

"Is that an offer?"

I glare at him and walk into Ginny's room, shutting the door behind me.

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**A/N: I'm not planning on making Charlie creepy, so don't worry. I'm just giving him some added personality. It's not like my characters are all completely canon so… **

**Anyway- review! Send the love.**


	3. Truth or Dare

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"I thought Muggle houses weren't hooked up to the Floo network."

"Well they're not, typically," Mr. Weasley answers me. "I've got connections," he says proudly.

"Well here goes," he states throwing a handful of Floo Powder into the fire. "4 Privet Drive."

"Ladies first," George says with a smile, pushing me towards the fire. I throw the powder into the fire and find myself in the dark with Mr. Weasley in front of me.

"What's up?" I ask Mr. Weasley.

"No clue, seems like the fireplace is blocked."

Fred joins us next. "Fred," Mr. Weasley states. "Go back, there's been some kind of mistake. Tell George-"

He's cut off as George joins us.

"No," Mr. Weasley states. "George, there's no room, go back…tell Ron."

"Harry, you there?" I yell.

Harry's voice comes through the other end. "Mr. Weasley, can you hear me?"

"Mr. Weasley, it's Harry…the fireplace has been blocked up. You won't be able to go through there."

Harry explains that the Dursleys have an electric fire as Ron joins us, landing on top of George and pinning me extremely close to Fred.

"What are we doing?" he asks. "Has something gone wrong?"

"Oh no, Ron," I say sarcastically, trying to push away from Fred. "No, this is exactly where we wanted to end up."

Mr. Weasley begins to mutter to him self.

"…yes…yes…only way…stand back Harry."

With a loud bang, the electric fireplace flies across the room and we all spill out from the fireplace onto the Dursley's rug in the living room.

As we stand up, collecting ourselves from the floor, Mr. Weasley explains that he'll fix everything to Harry's upset uncle, telling him that he'll disapparate instead of using the fire. The three Dursleys look utterly confused.

Fred and George run upstairs to get Harry's trunk and the rest of us stand in silence. In order to break the silence, Mr. Weasley clears his throat and looks around the house. "Very- erm- very nice place you've got here."

They look at him incredulously as their living room is now covered in dust and brick due to Mr. Weasley blasting the fireplace out.

"It's nice to see you again, Mr. Dursley," I state, holding my hand out. He shakes it tightly and nods to me in response.

Harry looks at me in amusement as I walk over to Dudley. "Dudley, right?" I ask holding my hand out. He looks at me in horror and I smile at him. "I'm not going to bite," I say slowly. "You saw your father shake my hand…I'm just being friendly."

Slowly, he grasps my hand and shakes it, quickly retracting when Fred and George clamber back down the stairs with Harry's trunk.

"Ah, right," Mr. Weasley says. "Better get cracking then." He points at the fireplace and lights a fire. "Off you go then, Fred."

"Coming," Fred replies. "Oh no- hang on-" A bag of candy had spilled out of his pocket. He scrambles around and crams them back into his pocket. He gives the Dursleys a wave, steps forward and steps into the fire saying, "the Burrow!" George and Ron both follow Fred.

As I walk towards the fire, Harry's aunt gives a scream. Turning around quickly, it's clear to see why. His cousin Dudley is kneeling on the ground, his tongue was now more than a foot long. Mr. Weasley makes to help him, yelling at Harry and I to get to the Burrow. With one last look at Dudley, I throw a handful of Floo powder into the fireplace and land back in the Burrow on my hands and knees, hysterically laughing.

Fred pulls me out of the way of the fire, just as Harry comes through it. "Did he eat it?" Fred asks excitedly.

"Yeah," Harry says, helping me to my feet. "What _was_ that?"

"Ton- Tongue Toffey," Fred says brightly as I sit between George and Bill at the kitchen table. "George and I invented them, and we've been looking for someone to test them out on all summer…"

The kitchen explodes with laughter and both Bill and Charlie stand up to introduce themselves to Harry.

When Mr. Weasley comes back from the Dursleys, he begins to yell at both Fred and George. Apparently, Dudley's tongue grew to around four feet long. "You wait until I tell your mother-"

"Tell me what?" A voice sounds from behind us.

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Mr. Weasley hesitates answering his wife's question, and I can tell that he wasn't planning on telling her at all what had happened. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny decide to run upstairs before Mrs. Weasly can start yelling at Fred and George, but I decide to stay down, moving to the living room where Bill and Charlie had moved.

"You're not going to stay in the kitchen to give support to your boyfriend?" Bill asks with a grin.

"Fuck that," I reply, glancing at the countless family pictures on the wall. "Do I look crazy?" I stop a particular picture and turn to the couch. "Nice ass, Charlie."

From beside him, Bill starts cracking up laughing over Charlie's growing blush, just as Mrs. Weasley begins to shout at both Fred and George.

"What do you say we set up the tables outside?" Bill asks, gesturing both me and Charlie outside.

There are three tables outside in the corner. Both Bill and Charlie use their wands to levitate one each, so I take my wand out and do the same, both of them turning to me.

"You're not of age," Bill says, looking at me curiously.

"Your parents are," I say with a shrug. "The ministry can't trace underage magic if there are of age wizards in the house hold."

"You're not supposed to know that," Charlie says with a grin. "You _are _a troublemaker, now aren't you?"

"Table wars?" Bill asks with a smile.

Charlie nods and sends his table slamming into mine. Catching me off guard, I almost lose concentration and drop my table, but instead, I send it into Bill's.

Fred and George both come out at the noise, Mrs. Weasley being done yelling at them, cheering us on. Ron, Harry, Hermione and Ginny soon join in watching us.

Bill's table collides with Charlie's, knocking one of its legs off. Suddenly, Percy's voice comes through an upstairs window, surprising me so much that my table falls to the ground, splitting in two.

I frown as Percy goes back in his room. Bill and Charlie both bring their tables down, Bill fixing the leg of Charlie's with a flick of his wand, directing them end to end.

"We'll tell mum that we did it," Fred says as Bill and Charlie walk towards me.

"No need," I say with a smile, putting my wand into my back pocket. I bed down over the table and think for a moment for a charm that might be able to fix a magical table. Fixing already jinxed objects is more difficult than regular objects and the table had been bewitched to carry more weight. I run my hand over the table's seam and it instantly jumps back together.

"How'd you do that?" Hermione asks, rushing over to the table as I place it at the end of Bill's.

I shrug at her. "I've been refining my magic with Severus over the summer."

"Severus?" The Weasley's all ask me and I shake my head at them.

"I lived with him," I reply. "You guys didn't expect me to call him 'professor' for all that time, did you?"

"It's still rather off-putting," Fred says with a grin. "I mean- you do seem to have a thing for older guys."

George frowns from beside him but Charlie laughs. "So this is a habit of yours, eh? Seen an older guy before- you know, I must watch out for my little brother."

"George is only my second boyfriend," I say with a scowl.

"Leave her alone," Ginny says stepping forward. "What do you say we do something? There's a good while before dinner is ready."

"I've got an idea," Fred says with a mischievous grin. "How about truth or dare?"

"Since when do you know any muggle games?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow.

Hermione sighs. "That would be my fault."

"Come on," Fred says. "It will certainly pass the time."

We all agree to it and sit in a circle in the glass. Bill conjures us all bottles of Butterbeer as Fred begins, as it was his idea to play.

"Harry," he says slowly. "Truth or dare?"

He studies Fred closely before choosing truth, and waits for Fred's question.

"What's the most illegal thing you've done during school and gotten away with?" Fred asks curiously.

Harry thinks for a short moment before answering. "In second year I took Polyjuice potion and snuck into the Slytherin common room." Hermione, Ron and I exchange glances with each other, noticing that Harry had left us out of his answers. The other five in the circle looked quite impressed.

"Okay Harry," Fred says. "Your turn."

Harry looks at Charlie. "Truth or dare?"

"Dare," Charlie says with a wide grin. Harry looks around the yard for a moment before turning back to Charlie.

"I dare you to sneak a gnome into Percy's room."

We all watch Charlie as he nods and stands up, walking over to the fence in the back yard where the garden gnomes tend to reside. He bends down and pulls one from the ground quickly, holding it away from his body. Walking over to the house, he picks up a broom which had been leaning against the wall and pushes off, inching closely to Percy's window and peaking inside. He opens the window slowly and quietly, nudges the gnome inside, and closes the window behind it.

When he lands back on the ground, he runs back to the circle as fast as he can, sliding back into his seat. We all sit in silence for a few moments, waiting for a reaction, and try to contain our laughter when Percy starts to scream.

His window flies open and he throws the gnome outside, sticking his head out the window and glaring at us all.

"All right there, Perce?" George says with a smile.

Percy slams the window closed and we all burst out laughing. When we're all able to catch our breath, Charlie turns to me.

"Truth or dare?"

Not being sure how dirty Charlie would play, I decide not to choose dare. "Truth," I state and he slimes at me from across the circle.

"In interest of my brother…" he says slowly, glancing at George with a grin. "How far have you gone with a guy and who?"

I glare at him and look to George. I had never actually told him what had gone on between Oliver and I on the last day of school, let alone at Snape's. He had never asked and I wasn't sure it was too important. George shrugs at me and looks down at his hands.

I turn back to Charlie. "Well?" he says.

"I had sex with Oliver Wood," I reply quickly. "He was a seventh year and the Gryffindor Quidditch captain."

Fred starts choking on his butterbeer, and I ignore the aghast looks of everyone else at the circle and turn to him, noticing that beside him, George was still looking at his hands.

"When the bloody hell did that happen?" Fred finally asks, looking at me in anger.

"What does that matter?" I ask him, slightly confused at his reaction.

"Because I know that it certainly didn't happen during the first half of the year," he replies glaring at me. "And during the second half of the year you might as well have already been together with George."

"Fred-" George says slowly, looking up at him.

Fred ignores him and continues looking at me. "You have told me almost everything since first year and there is an obvious reason that you didn't tell me this. When?"

"The last day of school," I say quietly, not wanting to get into when Oliver visited Snape's over the summer.

There is a moment of complete silence before Fred speaks again. "So you cheated on George?"

I breathe in deeply. "Fred, George and I have only been dating since yesterday," I state slowly.

"You were certainly more than friends by that time last year," he replies. "Did you ever think of how that might hurt him?"

I don't reply, and George speaks up.

"I knew, Freddy."

"What?" Fred asks, aghast.

George sighs and looks at me quickly before looking at Fred. Before George starts to speak, I look across the circle at Charlie who gives me an apologetic look before I turn back to George.

"Taylor and I weren't together," George starts. "We both decided that we would wait until after summer until we thought about dating…so technically, whatever she did with Oliver wasn't my business to begin with. But," he says with a shrug. "She told me what she was planning on doing…asked me really…_because_ she didn't want to hurt me. Oliver graduated, it was a closure thing, and understanding- I told her to go ahead with it…"

Fred nods at George and then turns to me, looking like he wants to say something, but isn't quite sure what it is.

Before he can say anything, Mrs. Weasley calls us all to the table, dinner being ready. As everyone walks towards the tables, I stay behind to talk to George.

"Fred was right," I blurt out quietly. "I should have never-"

"Shh," he says, placing his finger over my lips. "No. You did a decent thing by telling me, so I wouldn't be hurt. And I knew you weren't trying to hurt me. You and Oliver would have never gotten the chance to be together again, and in your place, I would have gone for it too."

I smile at him and he pulls me close to him. As our lips touch, Mr. Weasley clears his throat to get our attention. Turning towards the tables, everyone seated has been watching us.

"Looks like we get to sit across from my parents," George says with a sigh, as we walkover to the table and sit down. On my right, Percy moves away from me a slight bit and I choose to ignore him.

"Perce, can you please pass the salad?" I ask him as nicely as I can pretend.

He hesitates, but passes me a bowl of salad. I take some and pass the bowl down to George.

"So Percy," I say with a smile. "I hear that you are doing a report of cauldron bottoms for the ministry?"

"That's right," he says proudly. "It's a very important assignment."

Most of the people around the table snicker, but I nod at him. "It most certainly is. I'm curious though…have you taken into consideration the skill of the brewer?"

"What do you mean?" He actually asks me civilly and curiously.

"Well the skill of the potion maker matters much more than how thick the cauldron is or even what it is made of," I reply. "Even the simplest and safest potion can be disaster in the hands of a poor potion maker."

"I never even though of that…of course…that's days more of research!"

"It was just a suggestion," I say with a shrug.

"No," he says, nodding excitedly in my direction. "You're entirely correct. Do you have any first hand accounts? Maybe I could interview you."

Fred, George, Ginny, Charlie and Bill can no longer hide their laughter and I gently pat Percy on the arm. "That sounds fun, but I doubt you'd want to mention my name in any report to the ministry," I say with a smile. "For the same reason that you've never spoken to me until now, the ministry is not too keen on me, although…you've never taken to using veritaserum on me."

"Who in the ministry used veritaserum on you?" Mr. Weasley asks from across the table.

"It's not important," I reply, beginning to eat my dinner while Mr. Weasley and Percy get into a conversation about Ludo Bagman who heads the department of magical games and sports, and about a woman named Bertha Jorkins who has been missing for over a month.

To my left, Fred, George and Charlie are talking about the World Cup.

"It's got to be Ireland," Charlie says through a mouthful of potatoes. "They flattened Peru in the semifinals."

"Bulgaria has Krum, though," Fred says.

"Sure," I reply. "But Krum is just one decent player. Have you seen Ireland's Chasers?"

"Exactly," Charlie replies, giving me a smile. "I wish England had got through though, that was embarrassing."

"What happened?" Harry asks eagerly.

"Went down to Transylvania, three hundred and ninety to ten," Charlie says gloomily. "Shocking performance. And Wales lost to Uganda, and Scotland was slaughtered by Luxembourg."

Shortly after Mrs. Weasley conjures candles so we could finish our desert outside, she tells us all that we should go to bed as we'll be up early in the morning, "Harry, Taylor, if you leave your school list out, I'll get your things for you tomorrow in Diagon Alley. I'm getting everyone else's."

"Thank you Mrs. Weasley," I reply. "But I already got all mine with Severus."

She nods at me and ushers us all in the house.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …

**I thought I'd be nice and post another as it was done. **

**Please review. I love hearing my reader's thoughts.**

**-Tay**


	4. Quiddich World Cup Pt 1

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... .. ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**

Deciding that going up stairs, not falling asleep until three, and then getting up at five was completely useless, I wait until I hear Mr. and Mrs. Weasley go to bed and creep back down the stairs with Onyx and a piece of parchment and a pen. I figure now is as good a time as ever to reply to the last letter that my father sent and I head to the living room.

I just started writing when I hear footsteps coming down the stairs and Charlie's head peeks around the corner.

"You do realize you're getting up at five?" he asks, sitting down on the couch behind me. I was kneeling on the floor so I could write on the table.

"Precisely why sleeping is a ridiculous idea," I reply. "Why are you up then?"

"I don't have to leave until later tomorrow. You're taking a portkey while me, Bill and Percy are apparating."

"Lucky you."

"Who are you writing to?" he asks, leaning in to read the note.

"My father," I reply. "I haven't responded to the last note he had sent me, so I thought I'd make a quick reply."

He nods at me, leaning back into the couch and I quickly finish the note, telling him that I'll be at the Weasley's with Harry for the rest of the summer after the World Cup. I tie the note to Onyx and let her out the kitchen window, going back into the living room and sitting down next to Charlie.

"I'm sorry," he suddenly states. "About earlier."

I shake my head at him. "Don't worry about it. Fred thought that I had hurt George, and I would have reacted the same way if I hadn't known all the details."

"You're really close to the both of them, huh?"

"Yeah," I reply. "They're two of my best friends…I mean, through everything, when even Harry wouldn't talk to me, they've both been there for me."

"Well at least they seem level headed," Charlie says with a smile.

"So why'd you ask what I've done with guys anyway?"

Charlie shrugs. "Actually, I was figuring it would have been George. I was hoping to embarrass him…I played a year of Quidditch with Oliver too; great guy. Real passionate for the sport. He the only person you've been with?"

"Technically," I reply.

"What do you mean 'technically'?"

I study Charlie closely, going over what Snape has repeatedly told me about not being afraid to open up to people. "Can I trust you in a secret? I've only ever fully told this to one other person. George got a somewhat glossed over version as well when I let him read my journal in first year."

"Sure," he says seriously. "Of course."

I take a deep breath before telling him my secret. "Well…when I was six, I was still at the orphanage. They used to do day trips and we were scheduled to go to a beach. I was in a back room changing when an older kid walked in on me. He um…he didn't leave though…he ended up pinning me up against the wall and raping me."

Charlie looks at me as if he wants to say something but can't find the words. "I'm okay now," I tell him slowly. "But there's more…" I break off and look at my hands.

"You don't have to tell me if you don't want to," Charlie says softly.

"No," I say, looking back up at him. "I've only ever told Snape about this…I need to tell someone else."

He nods at me. "What about Fred?"

I shake my head. "I don't want him to treat me any different...and for all I know George has already told him."

"Okay," Charlie replies.

"Right…um…he told me not to tell anyone what had happened. So I didn't, and I went to the beach with everyone else. I had spent most of my time in the orphanage by myself, so I um…I sat back on the beach watching the other kids. And I saw him…" I feel a tear run down my face and ignore it. "He was laughing and having fun in the water. I got so mad at him and the next think I knew…he was pulled under the water. When they could find him, he was…"

Charlie pulls me into his arms. "I'm just so scared that I'll hurt someone else." He shushes me and I clutch tightly to him as he strokes my hair.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

I must have fallen asleep because I wake up to footsteps, a pillow between me and Charlie's lap, facing his stomach.

"What are you doing down here?" Mrs. Weasley's voice asks softly.

"She had a bad dream," Charlie replies, referring to me, who he thinks is still asleep. "You're up early."

"I need to wake everyone up and make sure that they have everything that they need," she replies. "So what do you think of Taylor there?"

He gives a little laugh. "She's interesting, but seems like a great girl. She's certainly been through a lot. George seems awfully fond of her."

"Yeah," Mrs. Weasley says slowly. "And I hope you'll remember that."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Charlie asks, sounding offended.

"Besides the obvious of her currently being asleep in your lap, she's a lot like the girls you used to bring home, both physically and emotionally. She's smart, strong-willed, determined, powerful, rule-breaking, athletic…I'm just warning you to remember she's your brother's girlfriend."

"Come on," Charlie states. "I'm nearly eight years older than her, mother. And I'd never hurt George, what do you think I am?"

"You're my son," she replies. "And I know you better than you think I do."

After a few seconds of silence, Mrs. Weasley's footsteps move away from us. "I'm going to go wake the other's now, you should tell her to get dressed."

When Mrs. Weasley's footsteps are above us, Charlie sighs and then gently attempts to shake me awake. I wait until he tries a second time before pretending to just be waking up. I sit up and rub my eyes, before looking around in false confusion.

"Hey," I say, looking at Charlie beside me on the couch.

"How are you doing?" he asks me softly.

I shrug at him. "Sorry for falling asleep on you."

"No problem," he replies with a small smile. "My mother's waking everyone up now, you should get changed."

I nod at him and rub my eyes again which were burning from falling asleep while crying last night. Choosing to be lazy, I wave my hand and find myself immediately changed, wearing a short black skirt and a tight emerald green tank top with matching flip-flops.

Beside me on the couch, Charlie is looking at me in surprise.

"What?" I ask him, getting off the couch and walking over a bag I had brought down yesterday, pulling out a sweatshirt.

"I thought wandless magic was Dark magic," he states, watching me as I pull my case out of the bewitched bag.

"It is," I reply shortly, getting a brush out. "So I'm sure you can see my worries over what I said last night."

He nods in response as I tie my hair up, turning as Mr. Weasley brightly walks down the stairs, sitting at the kitchen table and Mrs. Weasley walks over to a large pot on the stove where she was making porridge.

When Harry, Ron, Fred and George walk down the stairs and enter the kitchen, Mr. Weasley spreads his arms wide, showing off his choice of Muggle clothing and asks Harry's opinion on it.

"Where're Bill and Percy?" George asks, attempting to stifle a yawn. I smile and grab my bag and sweatshirt, walking over to the table, sitting to George's left, across from Fred who had his head resting on the table. Neither Fred nor George was a morning person.

"Well, they're apparating along will Charlie, aren't they?" Mrs. Weasley says, heaving the pot onto the table and ladling it out into bowls. "So they can have a bit of a lie-in."

"So they're still in bed?" Fred asks, pulling his bowl of porridge towards him. "Why can't we apparate too?"

I pay little attention to the conversation about apparation and take George's hand in my own. Now that I've decided to actually be his girlfriend, I might as well act like it and enjoy myself. When he turns to me, his smile changes into a look of concern.

"Were you crying?" he asks me in a whisper.

I shake my head at him. "The morning messes with my eyes," I lie.

He smiles again and pulls me close to him, beginning to eat his breakfast as well.

Hermione and Ginny both appear in the kitchen looking pale and drowsy. I ignore the look Hermione was giving me, probably wondering where I was all night.

"Why do we have to be up so early?" Ginny asks, rubbing her eyes.

Mr. Weasley begins to explain how we have to walk to the portkey sight when Mrs. Weasly shouts at George.

"What is that in your pocket?"

"Nothing!"

"Don't you lie to me!"

Mrs. Weasley then points her wand at George's pocket yelling _Accio_, making several Ton-Tongue Toffees fly out of his pocket. She yells about having told him to destroy them and points her wand at him and Fred both, where they fly out of their clothing. Evidently, they were trying to sneak them all out of the house.

"We spent six months developing those!" Fred shouts as she throws them out.

"Oh, a fine way to spend six months!" she shrieks. "No wonder you didn't get more O.W.L.s!"

The atmosphere was very tense as we set off. Fred and George lifted backpacks onto themselves and left without saying goodbye to Mrs. Weasley. She says goodbye to the rest of us, stating that she'll send Bill, Charlie and Percy at about mid-day, and we follow both Fred and George out of the house. I catch up to the both of them in a hurry.

"Hey," I state, and they both ignore me, continuing to look straight ahead.

"So," I say slowly. "Remember that box of toffees you guys gave me over the summer?"

They both turn to me quickly.

"Please tell me you still have them," Fred says excitedly.

"Uh huh," I reply and they both pull me into a hug, large smiles on their faces.

"You're awesome," George says, putting his arm around me as we continue walking.

We make it to Stoatshead Hill with about ten minutes to spare in searching for the portkey. We all split up, looking on the ground for an object that a Muggle would pass by.

"Over here, Arthur!" a voice shouts out. "Over here, son, we've got it!"

"Amos!" Mr. Weasley says, smiling and striding towards a pair of wizards. We follow behind him as they shake hands.

"This is Amos Diggory, everyone," Mr. Weasley says. "He works for the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures. And I think you know his son, Cedric?"

"Hi," Cedric says, looking around at everyone.

Me, Fred and George are the only ones who choose not to reply to him. Cedric is seeker for the Hufflepuff team and the reason that we lost to them in the first game of last year. He nods at the three of us in understanding.

"All these yours, Arthur?" Amos asks, looking around at us.

"Oh no, only the redheads," Mr. Weasley replies, pointing out his children. "This is Hermione Granger, a friend of Ron's- Taylor Black," he says pointing to me as Amos studies me closely. "And Harry, another friend-"

"Merlin's beard," Amos states, his eyes widening. "Harry _Potter_?"

"Er- yeah," Harry replies awkwardly.

"Ced told us all about playing you last year," Amos says proudly. "I said to him, that will be something to tell your grandchildren…_you beat Harry Potter_ !"

Me, Fred and George all glare at him, but he seems not to notice as Cedric speaks up, telling his father that Harry had fallen off his broom.

"Yes, but _you_ didn't fall off, did you?" Amos says, slapping Cedric on his back. "Always modest, our Ced, always the gentleman…but the best man won, I'm sure Harry'd say the same, wouldn't you, eh? One falls off his broom, one stays on, you don't need to be a genius to tell which one's the better flier!"

"Bullshit," I mutter, and Amos looks down at me, obviously having heard my remark. He is about to respond when Mr. Weasley tells us all to place a finger on the portkey, which happens to be an old boot.

We gather around the boot in difficulty as we all either had a large bag or backpack. Mr. Weasley watches his watch closely and counts back from three. Almost instantly, our feet leave the ground and we are pulled forward. When my feet hit the ground once more, I look around me, only Me, Mr. Weasley, Amos and Cedric are standing, everyone else was on the ground.

A voice calls out a time and where we came from as I smile, helping George to his feet as Fred stands up beside him. We had landed in a deserted moor and two wizards were standing before us with a watch and a roll of parchment. Mr. Weasley picks up the boot and hands it to one of the wizards who he knows through the ministry.

We're directed to a campsite where we meet a Muggle named Mr. Roberts who Mr. Weasley has Harry help him pay for the two campsites that he had booked. We walk by the sites of many, very magical, tents until we reach our site. Harry and Hermione help Mr. Weasley erect the tents by hand without using magic while the rest of us stood back and watched.

Mr. Weasley hands me, Harry, Ron and Hermione a kettle and three saucepans and tells us to get some water from the tap marked out on the site map that Mr. Weasley was holding.

The sun was almost completely risen as we set off towards the water tap. We pass many wizarding families who were all just starting to wake up. Ministry workers were rushing around attempting to stop all magic use outside in the open.

"Er- is it my eyes, or has everything gone green?" We had obviously run into the Ireland supporters, where shamrocks were scattered everywhere, covering each tent completely.

Seamus and Dean run out of one of the tents to greet us.

Leaving them, we walk through the Bulgaria supporters, where each tent had a large poster of their Seeker, Victor Krum.

Making it to the water tap, there was already a line to get water so we joined it, behind two men having an argument about clothing. One was a Ministry worker, holding a pair of pants and the other was an old man wearing a long flowing nightgown. Apparently he was confused on what Muggle men and woman wore and saw no problem in what he was wearing, saying that he likes a 'healthy breeze 'round his privates.' Hermione left the line after his comment, overcome by laughter, and returned when the man had gotten his water and left.

Walking back to our site, a bit slower due to the water we were all carrying, we saw many familiar faces from Hogwarts with their families, including Oliver.

"Tay! Harry!" he shouts, and we all turn to face him. "Harry, come over, I want you to meet my parents!"

We all walk over to their tent and I place my pan of water down on a chair so I can talk to his brother Toph as Harry is introduced by Oliver to his parents. Seeing how awkward Ron and Hermione are looking, I introduce them both to Toph.

"This is Oliver's brother, Topher," I say with a smile, engulfing him in a tight hug. "He'll be a sixth year."

"You're Keeper for Ravenclaw, right?" Ron asks as he shakes his hand.

"That's me," Toph replies, shaking Hermione's hand as well. "Captain too."

"Did I mention he has a bigger ego than Draco?"

Hermione and Ron both start laughing as Toph pins my arms behind me with one of his hands, using his other to tickle me. He stops tickling me when his mother reprimands him and we run over to where she had just finished talking with Harry. When she lets me out of a hug, she invites me to spend the last day of summer break with them as her husband Dave shakes my hand, agreeing. I tell them that I'll think on it as Toph whines that I didn't just say yes.

From them I turn to Oliver, who had been standing there watching my interaction with his family awkwardly. He gestures me off to the side of their site where we can talk in private.

"So how have you been?" I ask him, when we're out of hearing distance. "I haven't heard from you since you visited. I saw Toph in Diagon Alley."

He smiles at me. "I was waiting for you to write before I wrote you…I've been signed to the Puddlemere United reserve team!"

"That's awesome, Oli!" I say, engulfing him in a hug.

"So what about you?" he asks when we pull apart. "Any big news?"

I shrug at him. "I'm dating George," I say slowly.

His smile falters for a moment before he states, "That's great, Tay. Tell him that I say hi."

"You don't have to pretend to like it," I state with a smile.

"No!" he says quickly. "Really, you two are good for each other."

I raise my eyebrows at him and he smiles.

"Okay," he admits. "I'd rather you be dating me…but as that wouldn't work so much right now, I really am happy for you."

"Your parents and Toph want me to spend the end of break over your place."

"I know," he replies with slight hesitation. "You really don't have to if you don't want to. I know you're at the Weasley's."

"Of course I'd want to, Oli," I reply with a smile. "As long as it wouldn't be weird for you."

He shakes his head at me. "We're friends."

I hug him once more and kiss him on the cheek as I pull away. "See you then?" I ask.

"Of course," he says softly as I head towards Harry, Ron and Hermione, stopping to hug Toph goodbye, and picking up the pot of water I had put down.

On our way back we run into Ernie Macmillan, a fourth year Hufflepuff and Cho Chang, the seeker for the Ravenclaw team.

"You've been ages," George says when we all get back.

"Met a few people," I reply setting my water down and sitting down next to Fred and across from George as Hermione walks over to help Mr. Weasley with the matches he was using in trying to light a fire.

"Anyone exciting?" Fred asks, drawing in the dirt with a stick.

"Um…Seamus Finnigan, Dean Thomas, Oli and Toph, Ernie Macmillan and Cho Chang."

"And how is Oliver?" Fred asks, with actual interest, seemingly over what he had found out about the two of us just yesterday. We hadn't talked at all about his reaction, but both had seemingly decided to just let it go.

"Good," I reply. "Really good. He's pretty excited about being signed to the Puddlemere Reserve team."

"Nice," George states, impressed.

"Yeah. I can't really picture him doing anything but playing Quidditch. He told me to say hi to you, by the way."

"He know we're dating?"

"I told him," I reply. "He says he's happy for us."

George nods at me.

"His parents invited me to spend the last day of break with them," I say slowly, glancing quickly at Fred.

"You should," George says seriously. "You won't see Wood for a while."

At my look of surprise he smiles at me. "I trust you Tay."

I instantly feel bad about what had happened between Oliver and I during the summer, but I don't think now is the time to bring that up. Instead of saying anything about it, I place a small kiss on his lips making Fred roll his eyes.

Percy, Bill and Charlie walk towards us out of the woods just as Mr. Weasley had began to cook eggs and sausage.

"Just apparated, dad," Percy says loudly. "Ah, excellent, lunch!"

When we were half way through the food, Mr. Weasley jumps to his feet, waving his hand at a wizard dressed in yellow and black striped robes, who I recognized to be Ludo Bagman, who had been a Beater for the Wasps.

Mr. Weasley introduces him to each of us and we all watch as Fred and George make a bet with him for their entire savings that Ireland will win, but Krum will get the Snitch. Bagman sits down as Percy hands him a cup of tea, talking with Mr. Weasley about the disappearance of Bertha Jorkins. Within moments, a wizard named Barty Crouch apparates beside our fire, talking to Bagman about how the Bulgarians wanted more seats in the top box.

"Mr. Crouch!" Percy says excitedly. "Would you like a cup of tea?"

He looks at Percy in mild surprise. "Yes- thank you, Weatherby."

Fred and George choke in their own cups of tea as Percy turns pink, attempting to hide his blush in the teakettle. Bagman and Crouch begin to talk about something that will be happening at Hogwarts after the Cup is over, no doubt referring to the Tri-Wizard Tournament., before Crouch cuts Bagman off, stating that they need to meet the Bulgarians.

"What's happening at Hogwarts, Dad?" Fred asks when they disapparate. "What were they talking about?"

"You'll know at the feast," I reply, and Percy looks upset that I know the secret.

"It's classified information, until such time as the Ministry decides to release it," he says stiffly. "Mr. Crouch was quite right not to disclose it."

"Oh shut up, Weatherby," Fred replies.

Fred, George and I sit off to the side of the campsite and Bill and Charlie both join us. We have about five hours until we need to walk off to the match.

"You happen to have a guitar with you?" Charlie asks me.

"Yeah," I state, remembering that I had brought my case with me inside of my bag. "I think I have two, why?"

"Awesome, want to play?"

"I only know Muggle music," I reply slowly.

"Me too," he says with a smile as I stand up. I walk into the tent that me, Hermione and Ginny will be using and walk over to my bag as Charlie walks in behind me. I take my case out of my bag and open the third compartment, pulling out a guitar and handing it to him. I pull out the other one and place it on the table as I place my case back inside my trunk.

"Yours are both Muggle too," he says as I pick the guitar back up and walk out of the tent.

"Just the one you're holding," I reply. "This one my grandmother gave me. It had belonged to my uncle."

"I didn't know that you had an uncle," George says as I sit down beside him.

"Well he was killed when I was about one."

"How?" Fred asks.

I shrug at him. "No clue. He was a Death Eater, there's a number of possibilities there."

"So," Charlie says loudly from across from me to break the awkward silence. "What do you want to play?"

"Pick a song," I reply, sitting cross-legged. "I'll play it if I know it."

"Do you know 'Over the Hills and Far Away' by Zeppelin?" he asks.

"Yup," I reply, throwing him a pick I had pulled out of my bag. "You start it and I'll join in."

Charlie nods and begins the acoustic introduction to the song and when I pick up his tempo I join him in playing as Harry, Hermione, Ron, Percy, Ginny and Mr. Weasley join us in the circle we had made.

"So who sings?" I ask, before we get to any words.

"How about both?"

I nod at him and continue playing, starting in on the lyrics as he does;

"_Hey lady…you've got the love I need…"_

"This is really better with a drum," I state at the guitar solo.

"And an electric," Charlie states with a smile.

"_Mellow is the man…who knows what he's been missing…"_

When we finish the song, everyone claps for us and Charlie and I smile at each other.

"I didn't even know you could play," Harry states.

"Me neither," George says with a frown, obviously upset that he didn't know something about me.

"I like piano more," I reply with a shrug. "I only learned guitar when I no longer had a piano to use."

"American Pie?" Charlie asks. I smile at him, remembering learning to dance with Draco to the song earlier in the summer.

"Do you know all four verses?" I ask him.

"Yup, he replies. "You start this one."

I nod at him and begin the single chords that start the beginning of the song;

"_A long, long time ago…"_

To my and Charlie's surprise, both Fred and George started singing along with us from the very beginning of the song. Hermione and Harry also joined in on the chorus. When the song speeds up, Fred stands, grabbing Hermione and dancing with her. George joins in as well, dancing with Ginny. Charlie and I watch them in amusement when both Fred and George pull up Harry, Bill and Percy as well. We were getting many odd looks from campers around us, but several were singing along from their own campsites. It surprised me how many wizarding families listened to Muggle music.

When we finish the song, we decide to each play a song by ourselves. Charlie goes first, choosing "Blackbird" by the Beatles. I lay my guitar down and stand as George pulls me close to him, singing the lyrics. I smile at him and wrap my arms around his neck, singing along. When he finishes the song, I pick my guitar back up and start to play Oasis' 'Wonderwall.' Hermione squeals, saying how much she loves the song. Everyone else has never heard of it, being a fairly new song and Muggle band. As I sing, Charlie catches my eyes and smiles at me. I roll my eyes at him in response…maybe his mother was right about him.

Charlie and I continue playing songs back and forth until dusk. Many ministry workers stop by to talk to Mr. Weasley and listen to us playing until we're told to put the guitars away and get ready to walk to the Pitch. Charlie follows me back into the tent where I place my guitar back into my case, and take the one he had been using, putting it into the same compartment.

"You're pretty good," he says with a smile.

"You too," I reply, walking out of the tent to meet the others.

George grabs my hand as we begin to walk, passing by vendors. Harry buys a pair of Omnioculars for he, Hermione and Ron but I decline. I do take the program that Hermione bought for us though. A gong sounds from within the woods and green and red lanterns suddenly light a path for us to follow.

"It's time!" Mr. Weasley says excitedly. "Come on, let's go!"

**... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...**

**AN: I plan no Charlie/ Taylor- ever. Just a strong friendship/ brotherly relationship. Also- as always, sorry for the wait…. Really.**

**-Tay**


	5. Quiddich World Cup Pt 2

**Thank you to everyone who has already reviewed my last chapter. I just moved so I should have a more constant internet source. 3**

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After more than twenty minutes of following the path towards the sound of a roaring crowd, we finally reach the stadium, which Mr. Weasley tells us sits a hundred thousand people. We head to the nearest entrance and begin climbing a staircase all the way to the top most booth, which sat about twenty. We all filed into the first row where I sat in the very last chair with George beside me. Harry, Hermione and Ron were at the other end by Mr. Weasley. Harry had been asking Mr. Weasley questions about the Cup and Stadium. In the booth with us, was a house elf that Harry was currently talking with. I hand George my program and Fred reads it with him.

Within the next half hour, the rest of the seats begin to fill. Cornelius Fudge enters, giving Mr. Weasley, Harry and I excited greetings. He introduces the Bulgarian Prime Minister to us all, noting that he doesn't speak English.

"Ah," he says loudly. "And here's Lucius!"

Edging along the second row to their seats were Lucius, Draco and my mother.

Fudge and Lucius exchange greetings and Lucius turns to Mr. Weasley when Fudge brings him to Lucius' attention.

"Good Lord Arthur," he says softly. "What did you have to sell to get seats in the top box? Surely your house wouldn't have fetched this much?"

Fudge doesn't hear the comment and states that Lucius is here as his guest for a contribution he had made to St. Mungos. I watch as Lucius turns to Hermione with a look of detest for being Muggle born. With the Minister right next to him, he didn't say anything else, choosing to nod one last time at Mr. Weasly before continuing to the three remaining seats, directly behind me, Fred and George. Noticing this, I quickly retract my hand from George's, shaking my head so he doesn't question me on the matter as Lucius notices that I am in the booth.

I stand up to greet him as the Weasleys all look at me in confusion.

"Why Taylor," he says slowly, holding out his hand. "Whatever brings you with such… _company_?"

"That's not a matter to be discussed here," I reply softly, shaking his hand. He raises his eyebrow in question Draco walks towards my seat so I can give him a hug.

"How was the rest of you summer?" he asks me.

"Decent," I reply. "Your's?"

"Same."

I nod at him and look to my mother. "Narcissa," I state curtly.

"It's nice to see you once more, Taylor," she replies sitting down to Draco's left, who had seated himself between his parents.

"You as well," I reply, nodding before turning back around and sitting in my seat.

"Not now," I say quickly when George begins to question.

Ludo Bagman charges into the box, largely smiling and looking around to each person around him. "Everyone ready? Minister- ready to go?"

Bagman magically amplifies his voice and addresses the stadium, welcoming everyone to the four hundred and twenty-second World Cup.

He introduces the Bulgarian team mascot which happen to be about 100 Veela, beautiful magical women with the power to seduce men with their song and dance. Noticing how George was looking at them I roll my eyes and cover his ears with my hands and he instantly shakes himself out of the trance he had been in, looking at me gratefully when the Veela stop. From the looks of it, Harry and Ron had been affected by the Veela more than George and Fred had been.

"And now," roars Bagman's voice, "kindly put your wands in the air for the Irish Team Mascots!"

A great strike of green and gold flies through the stadium as the Leprechauns circle the stands, showing the booth in Leprechaun gold; A brilliant invention that vanishes hours after they give it out.

When the Leprechauns make their way to the Ireland stands, Bagman introduces the Bulgarian team, calling out their names one by one, his voice drowned out by the cheers and boos after he states Krum's name. He's a remarkable Seeker for only being 18, but I'm all for the Ireland team, which Bagman introduces next along with the referee.

As soon as the game starts, it is quite clear that the Bulgarian Chasers have nothing over Irelands, and Ireland is quickly ahead in points. Krum is certainly a better Seeker and feints the Ireland Seeker, Lynch, straight into the ground.

The game is soon over, and just as Fred and George had both predicted, Ireland wins even though Krum catches the Snitch. The final score is Ireland: 170; Bulgaria: 160.

Bagman congratulates Bulgaria on their effort in the game and the team joins us in the box, shaking hands with their minister before flying to their locker room.

The Ireland team filled our box next, their Seeker being supported by two of their Chasers. Bagman hands one of the members of the team the cup and one by one they hand it down their line. When the team leaves to do a victory lap around the stadium Fred and George make their way over to Bagman, looking to collect on the bet they had made with him.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

It's late when we get back to our tents having fought our way through the massive crowds, but none of us are ready to go to bed yet so we all sit around the large table in the guy's tent, talking about the match.

When everyone was absorbed in their own conversations, I gesture George outside the tent.

"What's up?" George asks when he sits down on a log and I remain standing, pacing in front of him.

"I slept with Oliver," I blurt out.

He looks at me in confusion. "I know…we've had this conversation."

"No," I say, shaking my head quickly. "Over the summer."

"And how did this happen?" He asks me coldly.

I bite my lip and look down at George where his anger was clearly evident.

I shrug at him. "I don't know Georgie…he visited me at Snape's and it just…happened."

"Just that once?" He asks me, and I can hear the anger in his voice now.

"Yeah," I say nodding. "Well…twice. But just that day."

"Why are you telling me this?"

"I thought I'd be honest with you," I reply, tentatively. "We're dating now, and I want to stay that way, and I thought this was important."

"Well you're right," he says, standing up, his face in a glare. "This is very important."

I cringe as he pushes past me, back into the tent. Sitting down on the log where George had just stood up from, I rest my head in my hands with a large sigh.

"You were right to tell him."

I look up as Charlie sits across from me on another log around the fire. He picks up a handful of rocks and throws them one by one into the dying embers of the fire.

"It doesn't seem like he believes so," I reply bitterly.

"He'll come around," Charlie states. "I told you he's level headed. Just give him a bit of time. For now you should get some sleep."

"I doubt I'd be able to."

"You can certainly try," Charlie reasons and I agree with him standing up. Charlie follows, and to my surprise, gives me a short hug. "Relationships aren't easy but you two seem fit for each other. I promise you that he'll come around."

"Thanks Charlie, I hope you're right," I reply and head into the tent to my bed, staring at the ceiling as I lay down on my back.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"What's going on?" Ginny asks me in a frightened voice as Hermione joins us in our section of the tent.

The three of us had been awoken by loud screams and bangs.

"Whatever it is, it isn't good," I reply, quickly getting out of my bed and heading to the tent door. One glance outside was enough for me to guess what was happening. "Get your shoes and coats on and hurry," I state, running to put my own on.

"What's happening?" Hermione asks me as we rush to tie our shoes.

"Death Eaters," I reply and the two of them give loud gasps, suddenly moving quicker. "You might as well have your wands out," I state, grabbing my own. "No one's going to care if you're underage now." When we're set we run out of the tent, joining the boys and Mr. Weasley at our site. Bill, Charlie and Percy have their sleeves rolled up and their wands out high before them.

"We're going to help the Ministry!" Mr. Weasley exclaims. "You lot- get into the woods, and _stick together_. I'll come fetch you when we've sorted this out!" The four of them leave towards the mass of hooded figures who had been blasting tents out of their way and floating muggles in front of them.

"C'mon," Fred says, grabbing Ginny by the elbow and pulling her towards the woods. When we're behind a decent amount of trees, we turn back to see that the large crowd was coming closer, the ministry workers were trying to stop the Death Eaters without hurting the muggle families that they currently had in their possession.

In the darkness of the woods, we were being shuffled by massive crowds trying to escape the Death Eaters, and Ron suddenly yells with pain. Not being able to see him at all, I mutter _lumos_ and find him sprawled on the ground.

"Tripped over a tree root," he says angrily, standing.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," Draco's voice comes from behind us.

Turning around sharply, we see him leaning relaxed with his arms crossed against a tree. He had been watching what was happening at the campsite through a gap in the trees.

Ron tells Draco to piss off.

"Language, Weasley," Draco replies. "Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like _her_ spotted would you?"

He nods at Hermione who instantly asks what he was talking about as she's a witch.

"If you think they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

Ron tells Draco to shut his mouth and a loud bang is heard from the camp, making several people scream.

"Scream easily, don't they?" He asks. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to- trying to rescue the Muggles?"

"Where're _your_ parents?" Harry says in anger. "Out there wearing masks, are they?"

"Hey!" I exclaim, having heard enough of this conversation. "As much as you hate to hear it, Draco's right. Hermione shouldn't be anywhere in the open. And you," I state, walking over to Draco so I can speak to him without the rest hearing me. "You and I had better keep out of their sight too unless we care to be joining them. And I can tell you that I don't, and despite your showoff demeanor, I know that you don't as well."

He nods at me and I give him a quick squeeze on the shoulder. "Be careful, Draco," I state before rejoining, Harry, Ron and Hermione. "Come on," I state, and miraculously, they follow me as we continue down the path.

"I'll bet you anything his dad _is_ one of that masked lot!" Ron says in anger before turning to me. "Why the bloody hell do you continue to defend him?"

"That's none of your business," I reply and the conversation ends as we search for Fred, George and Ginny. Hermione and Ron both pull their own wands out to add more light, but Harry finds that he's lost his.

We stop on the path and search around, but we don't find it anywhere.

"Could it be in the tent?" I ask him.

He shrugs, looking doubtful.

"Maybe it fell out while running," Hermione tries.

"Yeah," Harry says. "Maybe."

We decide to continue along the path deeper and deeper until there's no more noise, and looking around, it seems that we are quite alone in the woods.

"I reckon we can just wait here, you know," Harry states. "We'll hear anyone coming a mile off."

Ron looks around where we were standing and sits down on a dry patch of grass, taking the small figure of Krum out of his pocket that he had bought before the game had started.

"I hope the others are okay," Harry states, leaning up against a tree.

"I'm sure they're fine," I reply and Harry turns to me.

"Who were those people?" He asks me slowly, almost as if he doesn't want to be asking.

"Death Eaters," I state. "The supporters of the Dark Lord who are in his inner circle."

He nods at me and then turns to Ron and Hermione quickly before looking back at me. "Can I ask you something?"

I study Harry, not sure where he's going but I nod at him. "Go ahead."

"Why do you call him the Dark Lord?"

I shrug at him, "The Dark Lord, Voldemort, You- Know- Who, Tom Riddle- it's all the same person. I'm just used to saying the 'Dark Lord,' it's a family thing."

"Like calling you Adara?" Ron asks.

"No," I reply. "Not like that."

"So why does Sirius call you Adara?" Hermione asks.

"Because it's my name and he named me."

"What do you mean?" Harry asks me quickly.

"Yeah," Hermione adds. "You were called Taylor at sorting and the list had full names."

"Only because of McGonagall," I reply with a sigh.

"So why don't you go by Adara?" Ron asks.

Leaning up against a tree near Harry, I turn to him. "To get away from my family. Many of the Blacks are named after stars and other things in space, I didn't want to be just another number. It was one less connection that I had to deal with."

"Taylor your middle name, then?"

"One of them," I reply. "Adara Taylor Pur Andromeda Black."

"Pur?"

I turn to Ron with a smirk. "I can only assume it was my grandmother or my mother's doing."

"Sirius was married to a pureblood?" Harry asks, in curiosity. It seems that he must be writing to my father on a semi-regular basis at least if he wants to know more about him.

I can't help laughing. "Sirius married?" I ask, rhetorically. "My father was one of the biggest players that Hogwarts had ever seen, along with your father, that is. He'd never be the type to settle down. No matter what the age. No- I was the product of necessity, not love. My father needed a pure-blooded child, and thus I was born. Nothing more than that. My mother had already been married and was only happy to hand me over to my father without a second glance."

"Sounds like a lovely woman," Ron says sarcastically.

"No," I reply. "She's really not that bad. Had her husband found out what she had done, even to simply preserve her family line, she might have been killed. She still might if word ever gets out."

"Well her husband certainly sounds like a gentleman."

I turn to Harry. "Think of the proud pure bloods that you know."

"Yeah," Ron says with a laugh. "Think of Malfoy's dad- could you imagine?"

I attempt a smile, but I can feel Hermione watching me. She, if anyone, would be the one to discover why Draco and I are so close.

Hearing what sounded like footsteps to my left, I quickly shush Ron, who stands up to look around with us. As Ron stands, the footsteps come to a halt.

"Hello?" Harry calls.

Only silence was his response. "Who's there?" Harry tries again.

As soon as Harry asks, a voice shouts, breaking the silence of the woods. "MORSMORDRE!"

The dark mark appears in the sky, a giant green skull with a snake protruding from its mouth as a tongue.

The screams hear around the wood were almost instant, and Harry yet again asks who's there.

"Come on, Harry," I states, trying to pull him backward.

"What's the matter?" Harry asks, looking at Hermione's terrified face.

"It's the Dark Mark," I reply, continuing my attempt to drag Harry away from the clearing we were in. "The dark Lord's sign."

"What?" Harry asks just as a series of popping noises, signaling apparition, sound around us. We freeze as we're circles by about twenty wizards, all of them with their wands pointed at us.

Harry, thinking quickly, tells us to duck, and then pulls us at the ground as the group of wizards send stunning spells at us.

"Stop!" Mr. Weasley's voice shouts through the rest. "STOP! That's my son!"

The spells stop as Mr. Weasley rushes to us, asking the four of us if we're all okay.

"Out of the way, Arthur," Says a curt voice, belonging to Mr. Crouch. The four of us stand to face him. "Which of you did it?" He snaps, looking towards the sky. "Which of you conjured the Dark Mark?"

"We didn't do that!" Harry exclaims.

"You have been found at the scene of the crime!" Crouch responds.

"Barty," an older witch whispers. "They're kids, Barty. They'd never have been able to-"

"Where did the mark come from, you four?" Mr. Weasley asks quickly.

Hermione points. "There was someone behind the trees…they shouted words- and incantation-"

Crouch rounds on Hermione. "Oh, stood over there did they? Said an incantation, did they? You seem very well informed about how that Mark is summoned, missy-"

"Get off her," I exclaim. "She's Muggle born, you fool."

He glares at me as the other ministry workers turn their wands to where Hermione had pointed. "But _you're_ a Black."

Mr. Diggory walks to where Hermione had pointed to and shouts that he has him, making Crouch turn away from me.

"You've got someone?" Crouch cries in disbelief.

Diggory walks back out from the trees carrying the unconscious body of Winky, Mr. Crouch's House Elf. He deposits her body at Crouch's feet, who in disbelief, goes to where Diggory had found her, and finding nothing, comes back to the clearing.

Bagman looks on the scene in disbelief as well. "Winky? Conjure the Dark Mark? She wouldn't know how! She'd need a wand for a start!"

"And she had one," Diggory replies. "I found her holding one, Ludo. If it's alright with you, Mr. Crouch, I think we should hear what she's got to say for herself."

Crouch doesn't reply, but Diggory points his wand at the elf and wakes her up.

"Elf!" Diggory says, "the Dark Mark was conjured here a short while ago and you were discovered moments later, right beneath it. An explanation, if you please!"

"I- I- I is not doing it, sir!" Winky gasps. "I is not knowing how, sir."

"You were found with a wand in your hand!" Diggory yells, holding the wand out before her.

"Hey!" Harry exclaims. "That's mine."

The clearing looks at him with wide eyes. "Excuse me?" Diggory asks.

"That's my wand!" Harry says. "I dropped it."

"You dropped it?" Diggory repeats in disbelief. "Is this a confession? You threw it aside after you conjured the Mark?"

"Amos, think who you are talking to!" Mr. Weasley says in anger. "Is _Harry Potter_ likely to conjure the Dark Mark?"

"Then what about _her?"_ Diggory states, his wand pointed at me. "Like father like daughter?"

"It wasn't Taylor!" Harry exclaims. "And it wasn't the elf either. The voice we heard was a man's voice."

"Well we'll soon see," Diggory says, looking back down at the elf. "There's a simple way of discovering the last spell that a wand performed, did you know that?"

Diggory casts the charm and a shadow of the Dark Mark emerges from the wand tip. He vanishes the skull and turns back to the elf. "So," he says.

"I is not doing it!" The elf cries out. "I is not, I is not, I is not knowing how!"

"_You've been caught red handed, Elf!"_ Diggory roars.

"Perhaps Amos is suggesting," Crouch says, his anger clearly visible, "that I routinely teach my servants to conjure the Dark Mark?"

I tune out as they argue for a while about where Winky could have picked up Harry's wand until Mr. Weasley suggests that the elf must have picked it up after the mark as conjured and the person who had done so had disapperated.

Crouch still doesn't seem too pleased that his elf was being cleared of anything and tell her, ignoring her constant sobbing, that she will be receiving clothing, and thereby freeing her from his servitude.

Diggory finally hands Harry back his wand and Mr. Weasley gestures us away from the other ministry workers, out of the clearing and into the dense trees.

When we exit the woods and make it to the camp ground we're approached by a surge of people asking Mr. Weasley what had happened and who had conjured the mark. He quickly pushes us past them in order to quickly get back to our tent.

When we make it back to our site, Charlie's head is poking through the boy's tent. "Dad, what's going on?" He calls through the dark. "Fred, George and Ginny got back okay, but the others-"

"I've got them here," Mr. Weasley states, entering the tent as we follow behind him. Bill is at the kitchen table holding a sheet to his arm which is bleeding profusely. Charlie has a large rip in his shirt, and Percy is trying to control a bloody nose. Fred, George and Ginny are unhurt but shaken.

"Did you get them, Dad?" Bill says sharply. "The person who conjured the Mark?"

As Mr. Weasley answers him, I walk over to Bill and sit beside him at the table, ignoring his silent protests and pulling the sheet back from his arm. There's a large gash in it that looks like it was caused from a Dark curse. I frown a slight bit, knowing that whatever I can do to stop the bleeding will still cause his arm to scar a small bit. I decide that stopping his blood loss is more important and I hold both my hands over his arm, concentrating on stopping the blood.

When his arm stops bleeding and the gash seals itself shut, Bill looks at me in confusion. I ignore him and take my wand out of my back pocket, casting a scouring charm to clean his arm of blood. I'm surprised at how faint the scarring actually is.

Mr. Weasley is still in the process of telling everyone what had happened between Mr. Crouch's elf and the ministry as I stand from the table after a soft 'thank you' from Bill and walk over to where Percy is standing against a tent wall, a towel held to his still bleeding nose. I ignore the look that George was giving me, trying to get my attention and tell Percy to sit. To my surprise, he actually does.

He continues to listen intently to his father retell what had happened in the woods as I lower the towel to just below his nose so I can heal it. His nose stops bleeding and I drop the towel, placing my hands on either side of his nose to make sure that it's not broken. After deciding that he's fine, I clean the blood off his face and he nods at me in thanks as I sit beside him, leaning my back up against the wall.

When Mr. Weasley tells of how Crouch gave Winky clothing, Hermione voices her upset.

"Hermione, a wizard in Mr. Crouch's position can't afford a house-elf who's going to run amok with a wand!" Percy exclaims.

Ron interjects, tired with the argument over the house-elf and asks about the mark. When Mr. Weasley begins to explain about the mark and what Death Eaters are, I stand, and make my way out of the tent and into the cool night air.

I walk over to a tree in our site, and punch it with my right fist as hard as I can, taking comfort in the pain that it brings me. I lean my forehead against the tree and take a few deep breaths before I feel a hand on my shoulder.

"You okay?" George's voice asks.

"What do you think?" I reply coldly.

He sighs and turns me around to face him, placing his hands around my waist and pulling me to him. "I thought something happened to you," he says softly. "What's wrong?"

"Whatever I do in my life doesn't matter," I reply. "Everyone only sees me as my father's daughter or the last line in an evil family."

"Not everyone," he replies. "Just the stupid people."

"Thanks," I say with a smile and he leans forward to kiss me on the lips.

"I'm sorry for over-reacting," he states.

I shake my head at him. "You had every right to be upset. I just thought you should know."

"I do appreciate your honesty," George states. "No matter how much I may dislike it."

Ginny and Hermione walk out of the boy's tent and walk over to the two of us.

"Dad told us to get to bed for a few hours, we're going to be leaving here early in the morning for home," Ginny states. "You okay, Tay?"

I nod at her and she tells me that she'll see me back in the tent as her and Hermione make for our tent to get ready for bed.

"I'm not sure I can sleep," I state, resting my head in George's chest.

"Come on," he says leading me to my tent. "I'll stay with you."

"You don't have to," I state as he leads me inside and closes the zipper behind us.

He gives a small laugh. "Yeah, like I'm going to pass up sharing a bed with my girlfriend."

"Cute," I state as we walk into the room Ginny and I were sharing.

Ginny and Hermione raise their eyebrows at my from the edge of Ginny's bed where they had been talking.

"Problem?" I ask as I reach into my case and pull out a pair of pajamas, quickly changing into them.

"Not at all," Ginny says with a grin, looking pointedly at her brother. "But you do realize that you just changed in front of George."

"As I have been for three years, mind you," I reply, sitting down on my own bed, George joining beside me.

"I'm going to bed now," Hermione states, standing up. We all say goodnight to her and Ginny turns her attention back to me and George.

"I don't want to wake up to any noises," she states, getting into her bed and laying down.

"Too tired," George states with a grin, taking his shoes and his shirt off.

"Just what I need to fall asleep to," Ginny says, rolling over so she's facing away from us. "Your pasty white body."

I laugh as I get into bed, George getting in behind me and holding me close against him.

****

**See you next time **

**-Tay**


	6. AUTHOR NOTE

Hi all-

So I've graduated college and I'm working full time and balancing my real-life needs, so I've been more or less absent from this site. I am incredibly grateful for all the support I've received since my haitus, and the messages urging me on to continue my work.

I can't promise any speed, but I'd like to finish a few stories I have on here.

So thank you, and hopefully you'll hear from me again soon.

-Tay.


	7. Getting Past Oliver

**I love you all.**

****

"You're leaving at noon by Floo?" Mrs. Weasley asks me from the table where we were all having an early lunch.

I nod at her and Charlie looks at me in confusion. "Where are you going?"

"Francine Wood," I reply. "Oliver and Toph's mom asked me to spend the last day of holiday over their place."

"And George is okay with this?" He asks, looking across the table where George was just finishing his sandwich.

"Yup," George replies with a smile. "Why wouldn't I be?"

Charlie shrugs and looks back to me. "Could I drop you off? I'd love to get the chance to see how Wood's doing. I haven't seen him since his second year at Hogwarts."

"Feel free," I reply. "With the way that he and his brother hero worship you, I'm sure it'd make their day."

"Hero worship?"

"That'd be an understatement," Fred adds.

"Completely," George states. "You'll never find greater Charlie Weasley supporters than the two of them. You know, they both adopted the view that the captain should be the last to enter the field."

"Really?" Charlie asks with a smile.

"Yup," I reply. "Although, from what I've heard, you were a decent amount more lax on practices."

"Probably," Charlie states. "From what I remember Wood was always a bit over enthusiastic for the game."

"_That_," Fred says, "would be an understatement."

Charlie shrugs. "What's what I liked about him. I thought he'd make a good Keeper."

"He's on the Puddlemere reserve team," I state.

With a grin, Charlie nods. "See?"

I shake my head at him and stand. "I should make sure that I have all my stuff together," I state as George stands as well to follow me up the stairs.

When I make it to Ginny's room, George tackles me on the bed with a large grin on his face.

"What are you doing?" I ask him with a smile.

He shrugs at me and leans down to kiss me. "I'm supposed to be packing," I state when he pulls away.

"I know," he replies. "And I'm not too concerned about it."

I roll my eyes at him as the door opens and George quickly jumps off me as Mrs. Weasley walks in, her eyes narrowed at the two of us as she hands me my potions book.

"George, come help me in the kitchen," she states sternly.

"But mum, I'm helping Taylor pack."

"I'm sure she is quite capable by her self. Now George."

He glares at her as she leads him out of Ginny's room and Harry is laughing in the hallway.

"Oh shut up," I state, using my wand to collect my belongings and put them in my trunk, which I put in my case. "Done," I state, looking around the room.

"You and George seem like you're getting along well," Harry says, looking around Ginny's room.

"For the moment," I reply, sitting down on the bed as Harry hesitates a moment before sitting down across from me on Ginny's.

"What's that mean?"

I shrug. "Nothing really. I care a lot about him, as he does me, but we have the same personality…high-strung, demanding-"

"Overbearing, pigheaded, competitive, refusal to back down-"

"Thanks Harry," I cut him off. "But yes, all those things. We've only ever had a few small arguments as friends but those were a bit heated. I guess I'm just afraid of losing him as a friend."

"That won't happen," Harry replies. "Neither one of you want that to happen, so it won't."

"I certainly hope so," I state.

"It won't happen."

Harry and I turn to the door where Fred is standing. "Sorry," he says. "I didn't mean to overhear but I thought it rude to interrupt."

"No matter," I reply. "It's nothing that I wouldn't talk to you about if asked."

"George cares an awful lot about you. We both do- you know that. But it would have to be something really major for anything big to happen between the two of you. He has a better temper than I do."

"And that is why, my dear Freddy," I say, standing up and kissing him on the cheek, "is why it would never work between the two of us."

"You two would start a war," Harry says with a grin.

"I think I could take her," Fred tells Harry. Before I can react, he picks me up and puts me over his shoulder.

"Put. Me. Down," I tell him as he begins to twirl me in a circle. When hitting him does nothing I begin to tickle him and almost instantly find myself on the ground, landing hard on my ass.

"Sorry about that," Fred says with a grin. I glare at him as Charlie walks in.

"It's about twelve," he states, with a questioning look as to why I'm on the floor.

"Thanks," I state as Fred helps me to my feet. Harry stands as I walk over to where my case was sitting, swinging its strap around my shoulder. I hand Charlie Onyx's empty cage.

"I'll see you tomorrow then," I tell Harry as he pulls me into a hug. I pull away and Fred winks at me. I roll my eyes and follow Charlie down the stairs.

"You seen Harry?" Hermione asks from the living room couch.

"He's up in Gin's."

Ginny squeals and quickly makes her way upstairs, pushing in between Charlie and I. Laughing, I make my way into the kitchen where George was scrubbing a pan, a scowl on his face.

I walk up behind him and cover his eyes. Not expecting it, he drops the pan into the sink. I remove my hands and he turns the water off, wiping his hands on a nearby towel. "I suppose I'll see you on the platform tomorrow?"

"I suppose," I reply, kissing him. He gives me a tight hug and I walk into the parlor, joining Charlie by the fireplace. I wave to Hermione and Ron and turn to Charlie. "You ready?"

He nods at me and I grab a handful of Floo powder and throw it into the fireplace. I walk into the green flames and wait for Charlie to join me before stating, "8 Pleasant Road."

The fire spits us out in the Wood's living room, and surprisingly, I land on my feet, holding my balance. "Apparation is so much easier," I state with a frown.

Charlie laughs at me before Oliver and Toph walk into the room. They both run up to me and give me a large hug before even noticing Charlie beside me.

"Oh right," I state with a smile. "Charlie here wanted to see how you were doing, Oli."

Oliver's eyes widen and Toph looks at him in confusion. "Charlie Weasley?"

"You must be Toph," Charlie states, holding his hand out. Toph nods at him and to Oliver's surprise, Charlie pulls him into a quick hug. "How have you been, kid?"

"I- great!" Oliver replies, leading us into the living room. Oliver and Charlie sit down beside each other on the couch and I sit on the arm chair, where Toph quickly joins me, sitting on my lap and swinging his legs over the chair's arm, making me roll my eyes.

Charlie and Oliver talk for a while about Quidditch and Toph and I listen on in silence, enjoying their enthusiastic exchange.

"Well I should be going," Charlie states standing up. Toph finally gets off me and I stand up as well.

"Are you going to be at the platform tomorrow?" I ask him.

"I'll be there," he replies, giving me a quick hug. He says goodbye to Oliver and tells Toph that it was nice meeting him before Flooing back to the Burrow.

"So that was Charlie Weasley," Toph says, still looking towards the fire. "I thought he'd be taller."

"That's not funny," Oliver says seriously. "He's one of the greatest Quidditch players that has ever been through Hogwarts. He could have gone straight on to a professional team out of school had he wanted to."

"But he's been chasing dragons for the past five years."

"Well I never said he was the smartest person."

"Yeah," Toph adds. "Quidditch players aren't known for their smartness, now are they?"

I laugh as Oliver scowls at his brother. "Come on," Oliver says, looking at me. "Mum would want to know you're here, she's out in the garden."

I put my case down on the couch and follow Oliver out a side door, Toph following behind us. We find their mother elbow deep in dirt, planting some bulbs.

"Taylor!" She says with a smile. "It's great to see you."

"You too, Mrs. Wood," I reply.

"Taylor, it's been about four years now, please call me Fran."

"Yes Fran," I reply with a smile.

She stands up and brushes her hands off on the apron she is wearing. "So what are you three up to today?"

Oliver shrugs. "Swimming?" Toph suggests. Not having been in their backyard before, I was unaware they had a pool until Toph just suggested it. "Tay?"

"Fine by me."

"Let's get changed then," Oliver says, gesturing us inside. I walk over to my case and grab my bathing suit. "You can change in the bathroom down the hall," he says pointing to my left. "I'll bring a towel down from upstairs for you."

I nod at him and walk into the bathroom. When I'm done changing, I look into the full length mirror on the back of the door and frown at how little the brown and pink bikini that Tonks had bought me actually covers. As girly as I ever get is a skirt, and even then, it has to take all my will power and an extremely hot day to wear one.

I gather up my clothing, placing my wand on top and slowly exit the bathroom, walking over to where Oliver and Toph are in their bathing trunks, sitting on the couch.

"Wow," Toph says, standing. I can feel blush rise to my cheeks as he looks me up and down. "You're not so bad when you're a girl."

"Piss off," I state with a glare, placing my clothing on the couch where Toph had just stood up from.

"Seriously though," he states, "I think I can finally see what Oli saw in you."

Oliver stands and grabs his brother in a headlock, leading him outside. I roll my eyes at the two of them and grab the towels that Oliver had forgotten on the couch before following them outside to where Oliver had just thrown his brother into the pool.

I laugh as I place the towels down on a chair surrounding the pool. I decide to sit on the pool's edge, my legs draped in the water as I watch Toph and Oli wrestle.

Without warning, Toph grasps my ankles and pulls me under the water. When I swim back to the surface, I glare at he and Oliver as they laugh at me coughing, not having been ready to swim.

"Real bloody funny," I state, holding onto the edge of the pool.

"Aww, are you upset?" Oliver asks, swimming over to me. When he floats on his back and closes his eyes, I grin at Toph and jump on top of him, earning myself a series of curses, making Toph crack up laughing.

"What do you say to some water volleyball?" Toph asks Oliver once he's done swearing at me, a smile on his lips.

"Same teams as always?" I ask him.

"Of course," he replies, grabbing a net from the side of the pool and stretching it across, latching it to a small pole on the other side.

I swim over to his side of the pool and Oliver grabs a volleyball, waiting until we're ready before spiking it towards Toph.

Toph hits it upwards towards me and I hit it towards the left side of the pool while he was on the right and he glares towards me and Toph when he's unable to stop the ball from hitting the water.

I raise an eyebrow at him and he tosses the ball to me. I spike it in the opposite direction and he dives to hit it, but once more misses. When he begins to mutter under his breath, I push myself up and out of the pool. "I'd much rather you two do the brotherly competition thing."

"You letting me off easy?" Oliver asks.

"That and what's better to watch than two attractive guys getting wet and sweaty?" 

"Did you just compliment me?" Toph asks as I lay down on the pool deck, propping myself up on my elbows.

"You two look like you could be twins, you pillock. Not admitting you to be attractive would be like me not admitting that Fred is attractive."

"You don't have to admit that," Oliver tells me with a frown.

I smile at him. "Sorry, Oli.

At the sound of a loud click, I look towards the pool gate where Toph and Oliver's dad was just lowering a camera from my direction.

"I'd like a copy of that," Toph says with a wink in my direction. "As Oli probably would."

"Hold your tongue," Dave says with a smile. "Your mother asked me to take some pictures as Oli here won't be around too often anymore."

"I'll still be around," Oliver says with a sigh. "I'm only on the reserve team."

"For now," Dave replies. "Now you three, get together."

Oliver jumps out of the pool and rolls his eye. "Sorry that they do this each time you're over."

"I don't mind too much," I reply, standing. "They always give me copies."

"Now stand in front of the banister."

The three of us do as Dave told us to, and Toph and Oliver both stand on either side of me so I put my arms around the both of them, frowning slightly when Oliver flinches at my touch. Dave tells us to smile and then takes the picture.

Toph then bends down in front of me and has me get on his shoulders. After Dave takes the picture, Toph drops me in Oliver's arms who looks to me in surprise. "Now don't you feel awkward," I say through my smile.

"I think that will do," Dave states with a smile as Oliver puts me down. "It's nice to see you again, Taylor."

"You as well, Dave," I state and watch as he leaves.

I turn back to Oliver who tries to avoid my eyes. "So what?" I ask him as Toph jumps back up on the banister. "We can't be friends?"

He sighs. "I'm trying Tay."

"You flinched when I put my arm around you and apart for very few moments, you've hardly spoken to me."

"Things can't be the same between us," He says.

"Why?" I ask him and he looks back at me. "Things were fine between the two of us before we dated so why can't it be like that now?"

He doesn't respond and I take his hands in mine. "Oli…I don't even care if you still make it blatantly obvious that you still have feelings for me, this isn't exactly easy for me as well, but I can't lose you in my life."

"I'm sorry," he says nodding. "It's harder ignoring you anyway."

"I've heard that," I reply and he raises an eyebrow at me before pushing me into the pool.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"If you weren't a Muggle," I state irritably from Toph's bed where Dave had just used a squirt gun to wake me up for breakfast, "You'd so be cursed right now."

"Not a morning person, huh?"

"You and my godfather seem to enjoy the same torture methods to wake people up," I reply, sitting up and rubbing my eyes.

"Well I suggest getting dressed and heading down stairs, Oli's driving you and Toph to the station so you have to be out of here in about a half hour."

"Great," I say sarcastically as Dave closes the door behind him. I grab the top most clothing from my case which happens to be a pair of shorts and a Beatles t-shirt, and make my way down stairs to where Fran was placing pancakes on plates.

"How'd you sleep?" She asks as I sit at the table and take a sip of orange juice.

"Pretty good," I reply. "But getting to sleep with dozens of half naked women staring at me was quite the new experience."

She laughs and joins me at the table. "What can I do? He's a seventeen year old tomorrow."

"Bollocks," I state. "I had meant to get him a card along with his gift."

"I'm sure you could replace it with something," Toph says, sitting down across from me and digging into his pancakes."

"Each year, you get to be more and more of a perve."

He sends me a wink as Oliver sits beside me and I begin to eat my pancakes. "Stop it Toph."

"Why?" he says with a grin. "It's not as if you're dating."

"That doesn't denounce the fact that I love her."

The fork that was in my hand falls with a clutter against my plate and I can see the blush rise to Oliver's face. Oliver has told me that he loves me only twice previously. Once, last year when we were saying a final goodbye from dating, and then over the summer when he was leaving from Snape's. To hear him say it so outwardly really surprised me, along with, apparently himself.

"Well then," Dave says, joining us at the table. "What's with all the awkward silence?"

Toph is only too happy to tell him. "Oliver here just admitted that he's in love with Taylor."

"Piss off," I say with a very fake smile at Toph.

"Oh, come on," he replies. "What'd you expect after sleeping with him?"

My eyes widen at what he just said in front of their parents and Oliver quickly buries his face in his hands.

"Well I don't think I was aware of that," Fran says, looking towards Oliver. "Oliver?"

"Yes, Mum?" He replies, not removing his hands from his face.

"I'm not sure I was ever aware that you two were ever in a relationship."

Oliver doesn't reply so Fran looks towards me. "Do you have anything to add?" She asks with a surprising smile. I look at her in confusion and she winks at me, apparently she's just attempting to embarrass Oliver. I shake my head at her. "In his defense," I start, "we've never slept together while dating."

"Taylor," Oliver says harshly.

"Something wrong, son?" Dave asks, a smile on his face as well.

He removes his hands and glares at his father before standing from the table. "I'm going to go clean the car out."

I watch him leave and sigh. "What happened between you two?" Fran asks me. "Oli will never tell me anything."

"I have four years of school left," I reply shrugging. "I can't say that I know what love really is, but as close as I can come to it, I feel it for him."

"You have a boyfriend, though."

"I do," I reply. "George Weasley. He's liked me for a while now and the two of us are really close as friends, so I went with it. He's a really great guy and he knows all about my relationship with Oli."

"Hey you two," Oliver states, walking back inside. "If you want to make the train we should be going."

We all stand from the table and both Fran and Dave give me a tight hug. I gather my case and Onyx's cage from their parlor and follow Oliver outside to where their car is in a driveway.

"Is this Muggle?" I ask Oliver as he places Onyx's cage in its trunk.

"Yup," he replies, helping Toph life his school trunk into the back. "If you're not used to Muggle travel you should sit up front, we wouldn't want you getting sick, it's about an hour drive."

I frown at him. "And why is apparition out of the question?"

"Because Mum doesn't trust either her or myself with side-along," he answers.

Groaning, I get into the passenger seat as Toph climbs into the back. Oliver gets in and starts the car. "Ooh," I state. "I forgot cars had radios." Oliver smiles at me as I mess with the dial, getting a classic rock station that was playing Aerosmith's 'Love in an Elevator.'

"He must love you if he's letting you mess with his radio," Toph states as we begin down the road.

"This is your car?" I ask, cutting off a response from Oliver to Toph.

"Yeah," Oliver replies. "Dad says it's Muggle tradition once a kid comes of age to get them a car, so Toph will be getting one over break."

"That's a scary thought. He's bad enough on a broomstick."

"I'm bloody brilliant on a broom!"

"For an ape," Oliver states, earning him a smack on the back of his head.

We spend the entire ride looking at the scenery and singing along with the radio. Making it to King's Cross twenty minutes before the Hogwarts Express is due to take off, we don't need to rush.

"Thanks," I tell Oliver as he carries Onyx's cage for me.

"Sure," Toph says with a grunt, attempting to get his trunk out of the car. "Carry her cage for her when she only has a magical case to carry and I have to lug this thing."

"You deserve it," Oliver and I both say together, making us both laugh as we walk through the magical barrier at platform 9 and ¾.

"I'm going to go drop my stuff off," I state taking Onyx's cage from Oliver as he nods at me. I walk onto the train and walk to me, Harry, Hermione and Ron's typical compartment at the very back of the train and drop my case and the cage down on a seat.

"Miss this?" I ask Oliver when I rejoin him on the platform.

He smiles. "It's all a bit surreal, knowing that I won't be going back."

"Yeah," I reply. "But you're going to be living your Quidditch dream. Remember? All those Quidditch groupies and hooligans?"

"You know I'm not the groupie type," he states, quoting himself from last year. "Weasleys are here," he says, interrupting my thoughts on that moment, watching as they all exit the train. Upon seeing us, Harry, Fred and George all walk over to say hi to Oliver.

After a short conversation, Oliver states that he should be going and leans over to George, whispering something in his ear before looking pointedly at me. I nod at Oliver and wrap my arms around his neck as he holds me tightly. "Don't you ever doubt that I'm going to miss the bloody hell out of you," I tell him.

"I wish things could be different," he whispers to me, and ignoring the fact that George was right behind me, he pulls away to give me a slow kiss on my forehead. "Promise you'll write to me? Lots?"

I nod at him, not trusting myself to speak without my voice cracking. He pulls me close to him once more, telling me that he'll always love me, before walking away to find Toph.

****

**So this story is on a piece of crap computer that crashes each time I use it. So…I'll try.**


	8. Hogwarts Express

**Updating as much as I can while my computer behaves **

****

"You okay?" George asks me softly as I watch Oliver apparate out of the platform.

I shake my head at him but follow Harry and Fred to where they were saying goodbye to Mrs. Weasley, Bill and Charlie. When I'm through saying a quick goodbye to Bill and thanking Mrs. Weasley for having me stay at the Burrow, Charlie pulls me aside as they begin mentioning the Tri-Wizard tournament without naming it.

"I just want to offer my impartial ear if you need any advice or just someone to talk to. I promise you, I have this older brother thing down."

"Thanks, Charlie," I say earnestly.

"I'm going to be around some, too," he states. "I know you're aware of what's happening at Hogwarts this year."

I nod at him and he continues. "So feel free to write me or talk to me if I'm around if you're in need of some brotherly conversation."

"You're not so bad, Weasley," I state as he pulls me into a hug.

"You're pretty decent yourself, Black," he replies as the train's whistle blows.

I wave goodbye to him as I follow the crowd into the train. "I'll find you in a bit," I tell George, following Harry, Hermione and Ron to the back of the train where Neville is already seated.

When the train begins to move, I tune out of the conversation that had started about how Draco should have gone to Durmstrang school and start relaying the Quidditch cup that Neville was unable to attend. I choose instead to stare out the window, watching as rain begins to fall, getting heavier and heavier.

I begin listening again when Ron takes his small model of Victor Krum out of his pocket. "We saw him right up close, as well. We were in the Top Box-"

"For the first and last time in your life, Weasley," Draco states, walking into the compartment with Crabbe and Goyle behind him. Draco looks to Ron's owl's cage, which I just notice have a set of frilly maroon dress robes on them. "Weasley…what is _that_?"

Draco makes fun of Ron's robes for a bit, stating that they were fashionable in 1890 and then starts asking about the Tri-Wizard tournament, which Lucius has apparently told him about. When he begins making fun of Ron's father, I stand up, not wanting to get into the middle of a fight between my friends and my brother.

"Draco," I state, and look to bother Crabbe and Goyle. "Tweedle-Dee and Tweedle-Dum, a word in the hall?"

Draco raises an eyebrow at me but follows me out, Crabbe and Goyle behind him as Ron slams the door shut behind us.

"Leave them alone for now," I state.

"Why should we listen to you?" Crabbe asks. I've always liked him least of the Slytherins, besides maybe Pansy. I don't actually mind Goyle.

"Because if you don't," I reply. "You're going to have to explain to Pomfrey why you have an unnamed object shoved up your ass."

"For now," Draco says with a grin. I roll my eyes at him and ruffle his hair as I walk down the hall to find Fred and George.

About halfway down the hall I hear their laughter and smile as I enter the compartment as I find both of them on the floor of the compartment in the middle of a game of exploding snap.

"Hey," Fred says as I shut the door behind me. "George and I were talking a bit earlier. We forgot to ask how your Animagus attempt is going."

"Done," I reply and they both look at me in confusion.

"What do you mean, done?" George asks. "It takes years to become and animagus."

"Apparently not when you can perform wandless magic," I reply. "Which means, you guys obviously can't tell anyone. It's bad enough that I'm illegal because I'm not planning on registering."

"Can we see?" They both ask me, excitedly, sitting down on the benches.

I shrug and make sure the blinds to the compartment door are closed and lock it before I walk to the center of the compartment and change into the dog form that I am now familiar with.

"Oh wow," Fred states, getting off the bench to kneel beside me, George following suit on my other side. As they both begin to pet me behind my ears, I begin to wag my tail, not being able to help myself. George notices this and begins laughing, so I lick in on his face before transforming back.

"Anyone else know?" George asks me as I sit against the window

I shake my head at him and the compartment goes quiet.

"So what did you do with Wood?"

I look at Fred trying to figure out whether he was being sarcastic or not. "Nothing really," I say with a shrug. "We swam for a bit and just hung out around his house. It was rather awkward actually."

"How so?" Fred asks me.

George answers for me. "You two don't know how to act around each other, do you?"

"No," I reply, glad that he understands. "What did he say to you?" I ask, remembering. "On the platform?"

He smiles at me. "He told me to take care of you and something about if I ever hurt you he'll come back to kick my ass."

I bite my lip and don't reply. I stare out the window, not looking away until the sound of the compartment door closing makes me jump. "Where's George?" I ask, turning to Fred.

"Bathroom," he replies. "So how are you…really?"

I shrug and he frowns at me. "Tay, I'm more than your boyfriend's brother, you can talk to me."

I don't reply and he glares at me until George walks back in.

"What's up?" he asks in confusion.

"Your girlfriend refuses to talk to me."

George glances at Fred and then me, then back to him. "Since when do you refer to Tay as my girlfriend rather than name?"

"Since she began worrying that whatever she tells me will go straight to you."

George frowns. "Taylor…Black! You know the two of us are capable of holding secrets from each other and if you can't talk to me you should talk to Fred…and what the bloody hell is your middle name, I can't believe I don't know it."

"You do," I reply.

He looks to Fred who shakes his head. "No I don't."

"Sure you do."

"Taylor!"

"There you go."

They both look at me with confused expressions. "What are you talking about?" Fred asks me.

I shrug and look out the window. I had not wanted to get on this discussion with them. Especially not now.

"Explain, Taylor," Fred says as George sits down beside him.

"Not much to explain," I reply with a sigh. "Taylor's my middle name."

Fred looks aghast. "And you never told us?"

"Not a big deal."

"Not a big deal?" George repeats. "You don't think it's a big deal that I don't know my own girlfriend and friend of 4 years name?"

"No," I state firmly. "I don't go by it, so it doesn't matter."

We sit in silence for a few moments before George once more quietly speaks up. "What is it?"

"What's what?" I reply.

Fred rolls his eyes. "Your name."

"Adara," I tell them. "Adara Taylor Pur Andromeda Black."

George nods at me, pursing his lips.

I frown, in a very annoyed mood. "What a great way to start a relationship," I state in sarcasm. "Hi, I've been a best mate to you for four years and I've never told you my actual name. Not only that, but after planning to get together with you, I have sex with a good friend of yours and then do it _again_ over the summer."

"Stop it," Fred states and I glare at him but stop when I see the look on George's face.

I get up to leave as I feel my eyes begin to water, but Fred grabs my arm and pulls me into him as he stands beside George. "Talk to us," he says simply.

"Fine," I reply, sitting down between the two of them. "This summer was just… awkward. It was the first time that I was away from Remy since I began living with him. I'm still mad at him, mind you, but I miss him too much to still act like it. And then my father, Sirius- he's been writing me because he wants to get to know me. I'm not sure that I want him in my life right now."

I pause and look at George. "And Oliver… I really like you Georgie, you know that. But I still have feelings for Oli, which you also know. I would never do anything while with you. I really want this to work…"

"Me too," he replies, making me smile.

"I'm sorry for not telling you about my name," I state, "but honestly I didn't think it was important. I've been called Taylor since I was about seven. Only Sirius and Dumbledore ever call me-"

"Adara!"

"What the bloody hell did I tell you about calling me that?" I round on Draco who had just opened the compartment door, alone for a change.

He smirks at me and watches carefully as both Fred and George get to their feet, drawing their wands.

"Sit down," I order them and walk out into the hall with Draco, shutting the door behind me. As soon as it shuts, I push Draco up against the opposite wall to his surprise.

"What's wrong with you?" he asks, more nervous than anything as I was in a fine mood earlier on when I had seen him.

"I don't want you dead," I tell him, letting go of his cloak. "What the hell were you doing at the Cup watching your father and his cronies torture Muggles?"

"What was I supposed to do?" he asks back. "I have to live with my father, remember. I can't risk going against him, I'll be dead quicker."

Sighing, I pull him into my arms, holding onto him tightly. "I'm not leaving you, Tay. Not when I've only found you this soon."

The train begins to slow and I let go of him, giving him a kiss on the cheek before going back into the compartment, interrupting Fred and George's conversation to tell them I'll see them at the castle. Making my way to the far end I run back into Harry, Ron and Hermione. "So," I tell them. "Ready for year four?"

"I certainly hope so," Harry replies with a grin.

****


	9. Back at School

…

****

"Your dad's really Sirius Black?"

"Yes Creevey," I reply, quite aggravated at the new Gryffindor after only ten minutes with him at the first breakfast of the semester.

"And he really killed thirteen Muggles with one curse?"

"Colin," I say through gritted teeth, pulling my wand out and pointing it at Dennis. "If he doesn't stop, I _will_ curse him."

Colin knows that this isn't an idle threat but before he can reply to me, Snape walks by, smacking me in the back of the head with no other comment before walking to the head table.

I lower my wand slowly, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Colin all laughing.

I roll my eyes at them as George sits down on my right and Fred on my left. "So," I say to them with a grin, pushing my eggs around on my plate. "Any though as to get past the age restriction in the Tri-Wizarding tournament yet?"

"No," Fred says, annoyed. "Not really anyway."

"What a shame," I reply in heavily layered sarcasm. I don't want either one of them entering. The death toll on its participants is about one in four and that's why it hasn't been organized in years.

George smiles at me as McGonagall comes by with the schedules.

"How's it look?" I ask Harry who glances over it quickly.

"Not too bad. Outside all morning. Herbology with the Hufflepuffs and Care of Magical Creatures…" he groans, "with the Slytherins."

When I smile he shakes his head at me. "I don't understand how you're friends with them."

"Not all of them," I reply, looking over my schedule. "Just Draco and Blaise."

"Only the worse of them," Ron mutters as the rustling of morning mail arriving sounded. To my surprise, a small barn owl lands in front of me. I untie the note and recognize Remus' handwriting.

Finishing reading it, I turn to George. "You have plans yet for the first Hogsmeade visit?"

"Only with you," he replies with a smirk, wiggling his eyebrows.

I shake my head at him. "Remus wants to meet for lunch and I don't feeling like going alone."

"Not a problem," he says, placing a kiss on my forehead.

"We should get going," Hermione says, looking at the clock. "We have to walk across the grounds."

I sigh and stand, saying bye to George and ruffling Fred's hair as I pass him.

Herbology was possibly the most disgusting thing I've ever dealt with and I've made some nasty potions. We spent the entire time popping swelled potions of a Bubotubers plant and collecting its puss for anti-acne potions. We all retrieved several pints by the end of class and then made our way to Hagrid's cabin where upon arrival, Draco pulls me aside.

"I got a letter from father today about Christmas."

"A little soon, yes?" I ask him.

"No kidding," Draco replies. "But apparently it's custom with the tournament for there to be a ball and father expects you as my date."

I frown at him as Hagrid walks into view and asks us to follow him to several open wooden crates. "We'll worry about it then, okay Drac?"

He nods at me and I walk over to Harry, Ron and Hermione where we spend the remainder of the class caring for 'Blast-Ended Skrewts.' There were about 100 in each crate and all looked like deformed, shell-less lobsters.

"Well at least they're small," Ron says as we hike back up to the castle after class.

"For now," I reply. "They'll probably be about 6 feet long when done growing."

Hermione nods in agreement and we sit down in the hall for lunch where she immediately begins eating extremely fast.

"I need to go to the library before class," she says before we can question her. "Research on house elves."

I hardly start eating before she already rushes out of the Hall. Having dropped Divination, I don't join Harry and Ron for their next class and instead spend some time reading in the common room until Dinner time.

I meet Harry, Hermione and Ron at the bottom of the stairs, just in time to see the start of a duel between the Ron and Draco.

"Get stuffed Malfoy," Harry says as I walk up beside him. "C'mon, Ron…"

"Oh yeah, you were staying with them this summer, weren't you Potter?" Draco sneers, smirking at me before adding, "so tell me, is his mother really that porky, or is it just the picture?"

"You know _your_ mother, Malfoy?" Harry asks as he and Hermione hold Ron back from attacking Draco. I frown at Harry, not sure where he was going and I swear that Hermione notices so I quickly make my face neutral. "That expression she's got, like she's got dung under her nose? Has she always looked like that, or was it just because you were with her?"

I bite my lip as Draco's face turns pink. He glances at me and then back at Harry. "Don't you dare insult my mother, Potter."

"Keep your fat mouth shut, then," Harry says turning around.

I cringe as Draco sends a spell at Harry's back, the curse just missing his face. Just as Harry reaches for his wand Moody comes hobbling around the hall. "Oh no you don't laddie," he states. With a wave of his wand, Moody transfigures Draco into a pure white ferret.

Ignoring the stunned silence of the hall's onlookers, Moody turns to Harry. "Did he get you?"

Harry shakes his head. "Missed."

Moody nods and starts walking towards the ferret which immediately tries to run on the opposite direction.

"I don't think so!" Moody roars and raises his wand upwards where the ferret follows his movement into the air. Moody then brings his wand downward, slamming Draco into the ground. He then brings his wand back up and back down, continuing slamming Draco back into the ground. "I don't like people who attack when their opponent's backs are turned. Stinking, cowardly, scummy thing to do."

I pull my wand out and quickly cast a hovering charm on Draco to spare him any further harm and summon him into my arms before rounding my wand on Moody. "What the bloody hell is wrong with you, you loony git!"

"Black!"

I continue pointing my wand at Moody as McGonagall comes towards us. When she is standing beside me, I still refuse to lower my wand. "This pillock," I say through gritted teeth, "transfigured Draco into a ferret and decided to repeatedly bounce him against the floor."

"Moody!" she cries, forgetting that I had my wand drawn on a professor. "We _never_ use Transfiguration as a punishment! Surely Professor Dumbledore told you that!"

"He might've mentioned it, yeah," Moody says slowly, watching me as I lower my wand.

I glare at him as I place Draco at my feat. "_Homorphus_," I state, waving my wand at him and he returns to normal at my feet. I hold my hand out to help him up and he glares at Moody, muttering something about his father when, at McGonagall's suggestion, Moody drags Draco off to see Snape to set up detention.

We watch them disappear down the hall before walking into the Hall for dinner where most of the hall is talking about what had just happened, Harry and Ron laughing about it. On several occasions, Hermione tried to catch my eye but I ignore her completely, focusing on my plate before me. She rushes out for the library just as Fred, George and Lee sit down.

"Moody!" Fred exclaims, sitting where Hermione had just left from. "How cool is he?

"Beyond cool," George says from beside me.

"Supercool," Lee says from the other side of George.

I plunge my fork into a baked potato before abruptly standing and leaving the table without word. Hopefully Harry will be smart enough to fill Fred and George in on what happened.

Not setting a destination, I find myself in the dungeons.

"What is it?" Snape irritably says when I knock on his office door.

I walk in and my glare turns to a smirk as I see the glass of fire whisky in front of him. I close the door behind me before sitting down in front of his desk, taking a rather large sip from his glass and setting it back down.

"Can I help you?" He asks with a raised eyebrow, his irritation turning to sarcasm.

"How about plunging a stake through the nonexistent heart of one defense professor?"

"If only that would get rid of him," Snape mutters, finishing the drink.

I can't help smiling at his remark. "How's Draco?"

He shrugs. "More embarrassed than anything."

Sighing, I stand. "I'll try not to kill him in class."

My remark earns a smile from Snape and I leave his office laughing, surprised to run into Toph a small bit down the hall.

"Lost?" I ask him.

"I could ask you the same question," he replies with a smirk, following me out of the dungeons rather than continuing downward. "I was actually on my way to ask Snape about securing a tutor."

"Then you don't want to see him now," I say with a laugh. "Unless you want to be cursed."

"Typical Snape demeanor, I see," he says with a smile as we enter the main entrance. "So does your offer still hold?"

"What offer?" George says from where he was sitting on the bottom step of the main staircase.

"To tutor Toph in potions."

George starts laughing as he stands. "I think you're taking on a lost cause there," he states. "Wood melts about 5 cauldrons a year."

Toph blushes at George's comment and I smile at him. "I'll try to help though. You have to have some skill to still be in Snape's class."

He shrugs before hugging me. "Thanks Tay, and believe me, my parents thank you too."

"I'm not too sure after how we left," I mutter and he starts laughing.

"I'll see you later, okay?"

I nod at him as he turns left towards the Ravenclaw common room.

"So," George says.

"I think the first week of school is destined to suck for me," I state as he takes my hand and we begin to climb the steps.

He gives a small laugh. "Well the day's not quite over," he says suggestively making me roll my eyes.

"And what do you have in mind?" I ask with a smile.

"Not much," he replies, letting me into the common room. "Maybe a bit of cuddling."

"Cuddling?" I ask him with a raised eyebrow. "Who's the girl in this relationship?"

"Shut it," he says and I can see blush rising to his cheeks.

"So my room your yours?" I say with a grin until a throat clears bringing my attention away from George where I notice the entire common room was looking at the two of us.

Not being one to typically get embarrassed, I smirk, looking back to George's bright red face. "So?" I ask him with a smirk.

"Maybe some other time," he quickly mutters, rushing up the guy's staircase and making me crack up laughing with most of the rest of the common room.

"See you guys tomorrow," I say loudly with a wink as I rush up behind George with Fred behind me.

Fred closes the door behind us and bursts out laughing as George rounds on me.

"And you call _me_ bloody insufferable?" he exclaims, his face still a vibrant red.

"Something wrong, Georgie?" I ask, sitting down on the foot of Fred's bed. "I've never known you to get so embarrassed."

"Yeah, well," he mutters, sitting down on his own bed. "I've never been in a relationship before."

I smile at him as he throws himself back on his bed. "You realize you're going to be the death of me," he states.

"Never," I reply with a yawn, standing up. "Goodnight boys," I say with a grin, heading to my dorm.

****

**Please still review **


	10. MadEye and Turning 15

****

"C'mon, quick," Harry said, standing from lunch. "or we won't get decent seats."

I glare at him and George puts his arm around my waist. "Walk you there?" he asks me. "I've got a free block."

I nod at him and say bye to Fred as we follow Harry, Hermione and Ron to the Defense Against the Dark Arts class room. "It'll be fine," George tells me, giving me a quick kiss before leaving me to deal with Moody.

Entering the classroom I see that they took seats at the front of the classroom, So I take a seat next to Neville who was sitting towards the middle of the class.

I throw myself down in the seat and slam my forehead down on the desk as Neville takes his book out. "What is your issue with him?" He asks me. "What he did to Malfoy?"

"Not even close," I reply as his clunking footsteps approach and he enters the classroom.

"You can put those away," he growls as I lift my head. He sits down behind his desk. "Those books. You won't need them."

He takes out a register and begins to call out names. "Black, Taylor."

"Here," I state, annoyed.

"Ah yes," he says, his magical eye staring me down. "You're the one that rescued Mr. Malfoy."

"That would be me," I reply, shortly.

"Taylor, huh?" He asks, still studying me. "I don't recall a Taylor being born into the Black line."

I look at him in confusion. He has to be joking. "That would be," I say slowly. "Because there isn't."

He smirks. "Adara then."

I glare at him and he continues down the attendance sheet. When he's done with roll call he starts talking about curses. "So…do any of you know which curses are most heavily punished by wizarding law?"

Several hands rise in the air and Moody points at Ron. "Er," he says, "my dad told me about one…Is it called the Imperius Curse, or something?"

"Ah yes," Moody replies. "Your father _would_ know that one. Gave the Ministry a lot of trouble at one time, the Imperius Curse."

He then stands and takes a glass jar with three spiders out of his desk. He reaches into the

jar and holds one of the spiders out in his palm before stating, "_Imperio,_" and making the spider swing itself through the air like a trapeze artist. When he started making the spider tap dance, the entire class save me and Moody began to laugh.

"Think it's funny do you?" he growls, looking at the class and stopping at me. "You'd like it, would you, if I did it to you? Total control."

"And why didn't you laugh, Black?"

I raise an eyebrow at him. "Nothing funny about an unforgivable curse."

He nods at me. "Very wise girl. Know another illegal curse?"

"The Cruciatus Curse," I reply softly, feeling Neville tense up beside me. "Pure, torturous pain."

"You sound as if you're speaking from experience," Moody said.

"I am."

He gives me an odd look before casting an enlarging spell on one of the spiders and taking it out of the jar. Moody mutters, "_Crucio"_ and the spider begins to twitch uncontrollably. I bite my bottom lip as I need little help imaging the pain that I used to experience from my grandmother. Moody doesn't remove his wand and I can see Neville's hands clench on the desk. I look quickly to Moody. "Stop it!" I exclaim and Moody also looks to Neville, quickly removing the spell.

As Moody shrinks the spider back down to normal size, I lay my hand over Neville's, who, to my surprise, clasps it in his.

I hardly pay attention during Moody explaining about the killing curse, _Avada Kedavra_, and instead stare into our clasped hands. Who would have though I'd be holding hands with the son of the aurors that my aunt tortured into insanity.

When the bell rings, Moody holds me and Neville back asking to speak to us. I nod to Hermione, Harry and Ron letting them know that I'll meet back up with them.

He gestures Neville to behind his desk and Neville finally lets go of my hand, nervously walking to Moody. I tune out of their conversation as Moody hands him a book and put my elbows on the desk, resting my face in my hands.

I jump as the door shuts, leaving me and Moody alone. "What do you want?" I ask him irritably.

"Don't like me much?" he sneers. "Do you?"

I glare at him as he walks towards me. "You know I don't have a reason to."

He studies me a bit before grabbing my wrist and looking closely at my arm where several burn scars remain.

I pull my wrist away from him and he looks at me seriously. "What happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?"

"After your father was sent to Azkaban?"

I look at him in confusion. He knows all about this. He has a file about this. Glaring at him, I answer. "I was sent to a Muggle orphanage where I was routinely beat and such for being a freak because of my magic. Grandmother Black took me for a day every so often and increased it as I got older. Remus found out I was having contact with my grandmother and after I killed a muggle boy he took me in. Mind you, he doesn't know I killed anyone to date."

Moody listens to me ramble in silence, taking it all in as if it's the first time he's ever heard it. "Can I go now?"

He nods at me and I quickly leave the classroom heading straight to Snape's office and banging on the door.

"What is it?" he exclaims.

"There's something wrong with Moody," I reply, pacing in front of his desk where he was looking over a lesson plan.

"There are several things wrong with Moody," he replies and I round on him.

"I'm not joking, Sev!" I exclaim. "I swear he's senile. It's as if he's never met me before!"

"Maybe he's turning over a new leaf," he says sarcastically.

I glare at Snape and storm out of his office for the common room where I find Fred and George off in a corner with paper and quill.

"Writing Bagman?" I ask quietly.

Even though I'm quiet they both jump at my voice; that's how engrossed they are in trying to write a letter to Ludo Bagman.

"Merlin you startled us," Fred states, making me smile. As much as the two of them playing on being twins sometimes bothers me I find it adorable when they can answer for each other without a second thought.

George looks at me closely before frowning. "Something's wrong."

Before I can reply there's a tapping at the window, revealing both Hedwig and Onyx. Harry quickly makes his way over to us as I open the window and let the owls in, untying the note from Onyx's foot and looking at the small box attached to it in confusion.

_Adara,_

_ I don't have much time to put into this letter as I plan on flying North as soon as I can make arrangements. Harry's probably told you about his scar bothering him and this is only the latest in a series of events that I've been made aware of. Mad Eye's out of retirement, I hear, at Dumbledore's insistence. I'm sure that you know what this means so be careful. Keep your eyes open and watch out for Harry; he needs you by his side, Ady. I will write again as soon as I am safe and able although you could probably get a note to me with little incident if you happen to feel the want or need to write._

_ I'm not sure when this will get to you, but as I doubt you'll get it on exactly the 11th I'm wishing you both an early and belated birthday. I hope you enjoy your gift._

_ Take care, Sirius._

I quickly read the note over twice, trying to figure out what bothers me most, him coming north or calling me 'Ady.' I don't know him enough to like the fact he has a pet name for me. I actually wonder if it was a conscious remark on his part or if it slipped. Dementors are back in Azkaban, so he wouldn't have to worry about that, but people are still out looking for him.

I open the box and find a beautiful Sapphire ring inside; my birthstone. I take it out and look at it closely. It's a decent sized stone with small diamonds on each side of it.

"Taylor?"

I jump out of my musings and look at Harry."He'll be fine," I state, biting my lip, still looking down at the ring in my palm.

"It's my fault," Harry says. "If I hadn't have written him…"

Fred and George had been looking at us in confusion so I hand them my note. "He's a grown man, Harry," I say slowly. "He'll do what he wants."

"Well I'm writing him not to come anyway," he states and stalks off to Ron and Hermione.

"You worried?" George asks me, looking up from the note he had just read.

"I'll live," I reply.

"Pretty ring," Fred says, leaning over to look in my palm. "Any plans for tomorrow?"

"Tomorrow?" I ask him.

"Yeah," he replies slowly. "You know…your birthday."

I shrug at him. "I really hadn't though of it.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Hi honey."

I cringe as George sits down beside me at breakfast. "Honey?" I ask him. "Are pet names really necessary?"

He smiles at me as he leans down to kiss me. "Happy birthday," he says putting a golden box in my hand.

Raising an eyebrow at him, I slowly open the box and smile at the silver bracelet inside.

"You like it?"

"Love it," I reply as he puts it around my wrist and clasps it.

Fred slams down a box in front of me and I roll me eyes at him as I open the potions book. "Thanks Freddy," I say with a smirk.

"One more to add to your grotesque library."

I lean across the table and ruffle his hair, making him glare at me.

"Um, Taylor?"

I look at Colin Creevey in confusion as he walks up to me; a nervous expression on his face.

"Yeah squirt?"

He smiles at me and walks closer. "I um, I know it's your birthday and I- I have some pictures that I've taken, and I thought you might like them." He holds the box towards me and I take it from his slowly, lifting the lid and looking inside at the dozens of photographs inside the box, the first being of me Fred and George. I close the lid back down and place it on the table, turning back to Colin and extending my hand to him.

Colin takes my hand in surprise.

"Thank you," I tell him. "That was really decent of you."

He shrugs and rushes off to go sit with his younger brother who sends me a large smile from down the table. I send him a small wave and he almost falls of the bench waving back at me.

"So did Hermione get you a book as well?" Fred asks.

I nod at him. "Yeah, a Charms one and Ron and Harry got me a Transfiguration book."

Fred shakes his head at me. "What on earth do you need with so many books?"

"It's called reading," I say with a smile as a loud rustling signifies post and two owls land in front of me.

"Lupin?" Fred asks me, looking at Onyx.

"And Dora," I reply, untying the notes along with the two packages.

"Dora?"

"Tonks," I reply. "You both met her."

I unwrap Tonk's annual embossed journal and the open Remy's in confusion.

"What's that?"

"A kid's book," I reply, looking at the old child story book. "It's Muggle. Dr. Seuss?"

Hermione leans across the table. "Oh! I love that book. 'Oh, The Places You'll Go.' Who gave you that?"

"Remus," I reply, reading his note that explained how he found the book in an old box in the attic. Apparently it had belonged to him when he was a child and it reminded him of me.

"Room for one more?"

I smile at Toph as he leans down to place a kiss on my cheek, winking at George as he stands back up.

"What's this?" I ask as he hands me a wrapped gift.

He rolls his eyes at me. "Just open it."

I do as he tells me and look up at him.

"Dead Poet's Society," he states, gesturing to the movie in my hand. "Dad recommended it to me and after watching it I thought that you would really like it. It seems like something you'd like. "

"Thank you," I say with a smile.

He nods and then looks quickly to George before pulling another gift and note out of his robe pocket. "Um…Oli sent this to me to give to you."

He hands them to me and then gives me a last kiss on the forehead before walking to the Ravenclaw table and sitting down by himself at the end. I look at George before tucking them in my robe pocket and shrinking the rest of the gifts to fit inside as well.

"You're not opening it now?" Fred asks me.

I shake my head as the bell rings for class. "No time."

****


	11. Defense and Detention

****

_Padfoot,_

_ After reading and re-reading your last note over the past 2 weeks, I thought I might write you. I think you're bloody insane to want to come back near here after how close you were to being soulless just last year. Harry's worried about you; he doesn't want you caught. I suppose that I don't either. I have to admit, after growing accustomed to frequent letters from you I might actually miss them._

_ Anyway, thank you for the ring. It is, as per usual with you, far too nice and girly, but I do appreciate the gesture. Especially as I now know you're not a deranged lunatic. Or Remy tells me you're not one. I still have my doubts._

_ Well I'm off to Defense. Another fun filled lesson with Mad-Eye._

_Adara._

I tie to note to Onyx and watch as she disappears out the window from the Gryffindor tower.

"Ready?" Harry asks me.

I nod at him and stand, following Ron and Hermione out the common room.

"Writing to Sirius?" Harry asks with a slight smile.

I shrug at him. "I thought it only proper. The man is after all my father."

"You admitting it now?"

I glare at him as we enter the classroom, sitting down next to Hermione. As Moody's not been acting as if I'm going to produce the Dark Mark at any moment I haven't minded too much about sitting so near to the front of the classroom.

Moody hobbles in and informs us that he will be casting the Imperius Curse on all of us in turn saying that Dumbledore wants us to know what it feels like. "If you'd rather learn the hard way- when someone's putting it on you so they can control you completely- fine by me. You're excused. Off you go."

I had half a mind to go there as I can already throw the curse off, but I remained sitting, letting out a sigh. He has us stand to the walls and clears the desks away. I watch as he begins to beckon students forward and cast the curse on them. He makes Dean hop around the classroom while singing the national anthem, and then makes Neville perform some gymnastics which there is no way he could be able to do on his own.

"Black, step forward."

I do as he tells me, standing about ten feet in front of him He casts the curse and his voice fills my head. "_Dance_…_dance._"

Smirking at him, I cross my arms and he lowers his wand in surprise. "A wringer, eh?" he growls out, studying me closely.

"I know Occlumency," I say in explanation with a shrug.

He studies me a bit more before gesturing me back to the side of the room where he continues to call members of our class forward. Harry is able to throw some of the curse off as well and when Moody finds this out he spends the rest of the lesson casting the curse on him until he can throw it off completely.

"The way he talks," Harry mutters as we walk out of the classroom, "you'd think we were all going to be attacked any second."

I smirk as Snape walks around the corner. "Who's to say you aren't?" I ask Harry who glares back at me.

"Professor," I say sweetly.

His eyes narrow at me. "What did you do now?"

I wave bye to Harry, Ron and Hermione and follow Snape down to the dungeons. We have potions in fifteen minutes but Harry, Ron and Hermione choose to spend them in the common room as to spend as little time with Snape as possible.

"Nothing," I reply, putting my hands in my robe pocket. "It's been an uneventful start to the school year. Only one detention."

"I hardy believe I've given you your only detention since semester started."

"Well you have," I reply as he holds the door open for me. "And I don't think there was anything wrong with laughing during class."

I place my bag down at my typical desk and Snape rummages through a file on his desktop. "Christopher Wood came to me asking if you could set up tutor times."

"I already told him that I would," I reply. "I don't know why he went to you."

"The Headmaster has to clear the names of those who tutor to make sure that they know the subject enough. And in your case, you are two years younger," he walks over to me and hands me a file. "Not that I have any doubt that you'll be fine with how dismal a potion student Wood is, but you're still required to take a test."

I open the folder and shift through the five pages of questions inside. "This is all theory, where's the practical?"

"It's already assumed you can manage the practical," he replies as the door opens revealing Dean and Pansy. "Fill it out by the end of the week and turn it into me and then figure out times with Wood."

I sigh and nod at him.

There's a mass of people in the entrance hall after potions reading assigned, where Snape had threatened to poison us to see if our poison antidotes we are to create next class will work properly.

"What's it say?" I ask Ron, who's the tallest person around.

"Triwizard Tournament. The delegations from Beuxbatons and Durmstrang will be arriving at 6 o'clock on Friday the 30th of October. Lessons will end half an hour early. Students will return their bags and books to their dormitories and assemble in front of the castle to greet our guests before the welcoming feast."

"That's only a week away!" Ernie Macmillan states in excitement. "I wonder if Cedric knows?" he says before running off.

"Looks like Diggory is planning on entering," I say with a frown.

"He won't have a chance against me."

I look quickly to my right and see Toph grinning. "You're entering?"

"With a thousand galleons to the winner? Of course I'm entering!" he replies.

"And what makes you think you have a shot at winning?" I ask him as we walk into the Great Hall. "You know that one in four contestants have died in the tournament, don't you?"

He shrugs at me and sits across from me at the Gryffindor table.

"I asked Snape about being tutored and he seemed to think that I wouldn't pass his class without it."

"I don't doubt it," I reply. "I'll have you know that I have to fill out a five page test in order to be allowed to tutor you because you're older."

He cringes. "Sorry, I didn't know."

"No matter," I reply. "It's not going to be that difficult, I'm sure."

"What won't be difficult?" Fred asks, sitting to my left and George to my right.

"A test I have to fill out in order to be allowed to tutor Toph," I reply.

Fred smiles. "Potions, I take it?"

Toph glares at him. "My parents suggested it to me and Snape, well in so many words, kindly suggested that I take up a tutor as well."

"I'm assuming that using the word 'kindly' is some form of humor?" I ask with a smirk.

"You know your guru well," Toph replies. "I believe his exact words were," Toph starts, mimicking Snape's voice, "'Wood, if you blow up or melt one more cauldron without taking up Taylor's offer of tutoring you, you will be spending every night cleaning my storage closet until you graduate."

From behind Toph, Snape clears his throat and without even having to turn around, Toph's face grows bright red. I can't help laughing as Toph slowly turns around and says, "Sir?" in a timid voice.

"See me after dinner to arrange your detention," Snape says with a glare. "Black?"

"Yeah," I say as clearly as I can through my laughter.

He smirks at me. "You as well."

I abruptly stop laughing to glare at him. "Oh sure, Master Snape. Whatever was I thinking in laughing in your expense?"

Raising an eyebrow at me, he walks to the Head table.

"Sorry," Toph says when Snape is out of earshot.

I shrug at him. "He's only going to make me make potions that he's too lazy to make for Madam Pomfrey."

"Sounds fun," Toph states.

I shake my head at him. "Fun is whatever he's going to have you do."

****


	12. The Goblet of Fire

**At least I've still been writing…**

****

The morning of the 31st came with great excitement as Hermione woke me up. Lavender and Parvati were already scurrying around.

"You're going to make us late to breakfast," Hermione says as I get myself out of bed.

I sigh and dress quickly, following Hermione out of the dorm and down the steps, walking into George.

"Hello there," he says with a smile as I hide a yawn. "Tired?"

"Didn't get to bed until late," I reply as he wraps his arm around my waist and guides me through the portrait hole. "Had to finish a paper for McGonagall."

"On?"

"Animagi," I reply with a smile. "I just couldn't stop writing."

He smiles back at me and leans down to place a small kiss on my lips. "Difficult, I'm sure."

"Oh extremely," I reply.

Shortly after we sit down for breakfast, the post comes and I notice that along with Onyx flying towards me, that Hedwig is back as well. Harry and I exchange glances before untying the notes attached to our respective owls.

_Ady,_

_ I am back in the country and well hidden, no need to worry for my safety. Harry tried to convince me that his scar hurting had been a figment of his imagination. If you hear of it bothering him again, please send note to me as I'm not positive he will. Switch up owls; I've told Harry to do the same. _

_ Keep me up to date with your life, _

_Sirius._

I sigh and fold the note up, placing it in my robe pocket. "Well," I say, standing up. "Looks like it's time for class."

"Everything okay?" George asks, in reference to the note.

I nod at him and lean down, giving him a quick kiss. "See you at dinner."

Classes go by incredibly quickly and hardly anyone pays attention to anything that the professors say. When potions is dismissed half an hour early Harry, Ron, Hermione and I run to the tower to place our bags away and McGonagall places us in line as the other Heads of Houses do the same where we are led to the front of the castle to welcome the other two schools. Beauxbatons came by a flying horse pulled carriage and Durmstrang by a large ship through the lake. The Headmistress of Beauxbatons was a lady that was about the same size as Hagrid named Madame Maxime.

What surprised most people about Durmstrang was that the Seeker Viktor Krum was one of the students. I, on the other hand, recognized the name of the Headmaster Karkaroff from my grandmother, which is never good news.

I catch up to Fred and George as we enter back into the Great Hall. "Still planning on entering?" I ask as we sit down at the Gryffindor table.

"Certainly," Fred replies with a grin.

"If Dumbledore is behind the age limit, you're not going to fool whatever he puts in place."

"No need to be a downer," George states as we begin eating.

I shrug and watch Karkaroff as he and his students take their jackets off. The Durmstrang lot is dressed and deep blood-red robes.

"What's wrong?" George asks me, noticing my unintentional frown.

I shake my head. "Nothing yet, I need to talk to Severus."

He nods at me. "I'll never understand what you see in that man."

"He not as bad as he seems," I reply, ignoring he and Fred rolling their eyes. "Honestly, he's really a great man."

Neither one of them has a chance to respond as Dumbledore stands up and silences the Hall. "As you know, three champions compete in the tournament, one from each of the participating schools. They will be marked on how well they perform each of the Tournament tasks and the champion with the highest total after task three will win the Triwizard Cup. The champions will be chosen by an impartial selector; the Goblet of Fire."

We all watch as Dumbledore opens a large crate and takes out a flaming Goblet. He tells the Hall that whoever wishes to enter has 24 hours to put a slip of paper in with their name and school written upon it. He states that an age line will be placed around the Goblet and then dismisses us all for bed.

"An age line!" Fred says with a large grin as we get up from the table. "Well, that should be fooled by an Aging Potion, shouldn't it? And once your name's in that Goblet, it doesn't care if your 17 or not!"

"But I don't think that anyone under 17 will stand a chance," Hermione states. "We just haven't learned enough…"

"Speak for yourself," George says shortly. "You'll try to get in, won't you, Harry?"

"None of you should be trying to get in," I state loudly and everyone within hearing distance looks at me.

"Why?" Fred asks.

"Because," I say shortly. "The competition has a one in four mortality rate and I don't want anyone I care about entering."

"If you don't want me to enter, I won't" George says after a short pause.

I shake my head at him. "You'll never get past whatever Dumbledore lies down as an age line, I suspect he'd have though of age potion. You guys are not who I'm worried about."

"Wood?" Fred asks.

"Yeah," I reply. "He's as competitive as Oli. Nothing is going to make him back down from entering and with the people in his year, I'd say he has a good chance of being chosen."

No one responds as we make it to the door, pausing to let Karkaroff and his Durmstrang students by.

"Thank you," he says and then stops dead as he notices Harry.

"Yeah that's Harry Potter," Moody's voice growls from behind us, making Karkaroff jump. "Or were you looking at Black?"

Karkaroff turns his attention to me in surprise and I scowl at him. Moody tells him that he's blocking the doorway and he leaves.

"What was that about?" George asks me in confusion.

"Nothing," I reply as I search around the hallway looking for Snape. Not seeing him I sigh and take George's hand in mine as we walk up the stairs. "I hate my name," I mutter so only he can hear me.

He smiles sadly down at me and leans towards me. "Stay with me tonight?"

I look at him for a moment before nodding.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

Note to self. Don't sleep in George's bed unless I want to get woken with a well aimed pillow.

"What the Hell?" I exclaim as I jump awake, George beside me in an equally surprised state.

"Breakfast," Fred states with a large grin on his lips, shaking a vial in front of George.

"Right," George says, rubbing his eyes in an adorable manner that makes me smile at him. "What?" he asks.

"Just marveling in your cuteness," I reply softly, hoping that Fred doesn't hear me. No luck.

"We're equally as cute now come on."

I glare at him and take my wand from George's night table, changing my clothing as Lee comes out of the bathroom having just brushed his teeth.

"Almost ready?" he asks as George begins to put clothing on, having slept only in his boxers.

"Yeah, I'm set," George says, walking over to me, putting his arms around my waist and pulling me close to him. "You sure you're okay with this?"

"Sure," I reply, getting on my tip-toes to place a kiss on his lips. "It's not like you're going to be able to enter, anyway."

"We'll see," Fred states, pulling George and I towards the door on our way to the Entrance Hall. They both pause at to drink a few drops of the potion each before walking over to where Ron, Harry and Hermione were sitting down.

"Done it," Fred says, leaning down to them. "Just taken it."

"Which isn't going to work," I mutter to Hermione who smiles at me.

"What?" Ron asks in confusion.

"The Aging Potion, dung brains," says Fred.

"One drop each," George adds, rubbing his hands together. "We only needed to be a few months older."

I smirk. "Six months older, you mean."

They ignore me and Fred takes the slip of parchment out of his pocket which stated his name and school. "Ready?"

I roll my eyes as I watch them approach the age line and Fred walks past it, George leaping in behind him. It actually looked as if it had worked until, with a large sizzling sound, they were both hurled out of the circle and landed painfully feet away from the circle.

I quickly ran to their side but stopped short when a loud popping noise sounded and they both grew long white beards.

"Oh. My. Lord." I say slowly before joining the rest of the Hall's onlookers in tremendous laughter as both Fred and George stood and got a look at each other.

"I did warn you," says a deep, amused voice, and everyone turns to see Dumbledore walking towards us. "I suggest that you both go up to Madam Pomfrey who is already attending a few others."

George waves goodbye to me as students, Harry, Ron and Hermione included, begin to make their way into the Great Hall, the excitement now over.

"Come to wish me luck?"

I turn around and roll my eyes at Toph. "No," I state, giving a smile to Angelina who is approaching the age line to enter her name into the Goblet.

"I see," he says with a grin, leaning against the wall behind us. "Rooting for a Gryffindor?"

"No," I reply with a glare. "I just don't want you to enter."

"And why's that?"

"I don't want you dead."

Toph's grin disappears and he purses his lips, pushing himself off the wall to pull me into his arms, holding my head close against his chest. "Stop that. They've changed rules this year and it's supposed to be a lot more safe."

"I don't care," I reply, moving my arms from his chest to his back so I can look up at him. "If this is about proving yourself to be better than Oli then you're an ass."

He smiles again. "This is about me proving myself to me," he says as he pulls away from me, taking a slip of paper out of his robe. He holds it out to me where I can see 'Christopher Wood- Hogwarts' clearly written.

I quickly look down at the ground and he lifts my chin back up. "Is there something more to this why you're so upset?"

"No," I reply. "I'm serious. I don't want you dead. There aren't many people that I care about and you happen to be one of them."

"I'm not going to die, Tay," Toph replies, walking up to the Goblet. "Any way, it might not even be me that's chosen from Hogwarts."

I bite my lip as he walks past the age line and I watch as he drops the slip of paper into the Goblet.

"You hate me?" he asks, walking back over to me and placing his arm around my shoulders.

I shake my head at him as he leads me into the Great Hall.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

When me, Harry, Ron and Hermione enter the Great Hall for dinner, it's almost completely full but Fred and George saved us seats across from them and they seemed to have taken not being allowed to enter rather well.

"I hope it's Angelina," Fred says as we sit down, having noticed that the Goblet of Fire was now in front of the head table.

"Of course you do," I reply, making him glare at me.

Everyone ate quickly, empting their plates as soon as possible to get to towards the announcement of school champions. When the plates were cleared, Dumbledore stands, telling us that the Goblet was about ready.

Within moments of his speaking, the flames inside the goblet turn red and flames shoot into the air and a charred piece of paper flutters out.

"The champion for Durmstrang," Dumbledore states, "will be Viktor Krum."

The Hall erupts in clapping and cheering as Krum stands and walks to a chamber off the front of the hall until the flames turn red once more having died back down to their original blue. Dumbledore catches the second piece of charred paper and reads it.

"The champion for Beauxbatons," he says, "is Fleur Delacour." A blonde girl stands and takes the path that Krum had just made.

The applause dies down once more and the flames turn red for the third time and Dumbledore catches the piece of paper. I can't help but hold my breath. "The Hogwarts champion," Dumbledore calls, "is Christopher Wood."

I bite my lip and look towards Toph who happens to be facing me. He gives me a wink before standing to the loud applause he was receiving. I watch him as he walks out of the Hall and feel George place his hands on top of mine from across the table, giving them a light squeeze.

"Excellent!" Dumbledore says as the applause dies down. Well, we now have our three champions. I am sure I can count upon all of you, including the remaining students from Beauxbatons and Durmstrang, to give your champions every ounce of support you can muster. By cheering your champion on. you will contribute in a very real-"

Dumbledore stops talking as the Goblet once more turns red. The hall is silent as yet another piece of paper flies out and Dumbledore reads it carefully. He clears his throat before stating, "Harry Potter."

****


	13. Calming Down

****

"Will you calm down!"

"Calm down?" I ask Ginny, from the now quiet common room. The party for Harry being made a Hogwarts champion had ended and Gryffindor house, save for me, Ginny, Fred and George had all gone to bed. "Calm down?" I ask again before turning out of the common room and heading towards the dungeons.

I meet no one along the way and am surprised when I see the doorway to Snape's office cracked open. Not hearing voices, I knock.

"What?" Snape's upset voice exclaims and the door is thrown open revealing a disheveled Snape holding a half empty glass of Fire Whiskey.

"Well hello to you too," I state as his face softens. From the state of his hair, I can tell that he's had his hands through it. His robe is off and his shirt un-tucked from his black pants.

"It's past curfew, why are you here?" he asks me as he walks to his desk and sits on its top.

I glare at him. "I don't think you need to ask that."

He nods at me, without his customary smirk. It seems he's not in the sarcastic mood, which is a testament as to how serious he currently is.

"I'm scared," I say softly, not sure if he will understand me. It seems that he does, however, when he reaches out and pulls me towards him into a hug. "One in four contestants who have entered the contest have died," I say into his chest. "And I care about two out of four. That's a fifty-fifty chance that someone I care about will die."

I can hear as well as feel him sigh as he rubs my back. I look up at him. "How did Harry's name come out of that Goblet?"

"I haven't a clue," he replies. "There's no way that he could have gotten past that age line. I'd stake my life on it."

I pull back and smile at him. "You'd stake you life on Harry?"

"That wasn't what I meant," he replies with a glare, "and you know it."

Shrugging, I walk away from him towards the door, and then turn back to him. "What did Dumbledore and Moody say?"

"Dumbledore didn't say much," he replies, finishing his drink. "Mad-Eye thinks whoever put Harry's name in the Goblet is out to kill him."

"No kidding," I reply with a sigh.

"Get to bed, Tay."

I nod at him before walking out of his office and softly closing the door behind me. Yawning, I make my way out of the dungeons taking each stone step one at a time unlike my typical 2-3. Turning out of the hallway and towards the Entrance Hall I nearly walk into Moody.

"Black," he says slowly. "It's past curfew."

I sigh. "I'm just leaving Severus'. I felt the need for a conversation. Ask him yourself."

"Severus?" he asks me, a calculating look on his face. "Close to Professor Snape, are you?"

Looking at him in confusion, I nod. He knows this. What is this old bat playing at? "Yeah, you can say that."

"A bit odd with you being a Gryffindor."

"I'm a Black before a Gryffindor," I reply. If he wants to make me out to be a Dark witch, why not play into it? I'm already annoyed enough.

To my surprise, he smiles at me. "That you are girl. That you are. Let me ask you something."

I raise an eyebrow at him and he smirks. "You don't like me very much, do you, Black?"

"Well I have many reasons not to, don't you agree?" I ask in return, no clue where he is going with this.

He nods at me, a slight smile on his lips. "I like you, kid."

Continuing to look at him in confusion, he pats me on the back before continuing on his way through the castle.

Deciding to be bold, I change my direction so I'm heading not towards the Gryffindor common room but towards Dumbledore's office. I frown once I reach the large stone Gargoyle that guards his office, not knowing the password.

"Cockroach Cluster," I mutter. Nothing. "Bernie Botts. Blood Pop. Sugar Quill."

The Gargoyle slides aside revealing the staircase that I am all too familiar with by now. I climb the stairs slowly and pause when I get to the door. Before I can even knock Dumbledore tells me to enter.

I push the door open and close it behind me before approaching his desk where he's looking at me closely, no sign of surprise on his face.

"A bit past curfew, Miss Black, what brings you here?"

"Moody," I reply, sitting down.

Now he looks surprised. He had obviously thought that I would be here about Harry. "Whatever about?" he asks me. "Nothing has happened, has it?"

"No," I reply with a sigh.

"Then what is it?"

"He's different," I explain slowly. "He keeps asking me questions that he already knows the answers to and he's…well he's being nice to me."

Dumbledore nods. "Have you considered that he's turning over a new leaf?"

"Moody?" I ask with a laugh.

He frowns at me. "I don't know what you want me to say. I have seen nothing out of the ordinary and believe that he is quite capable of continuing his lessons."

"Fine," I reply, standing and walking towards the door.

"Good night Adara."

**0o0o0o0o**

Back in the common room, I find George waiting up for me and I frown. "You should have gone to bed."

"You're upset."

"I'm always upset."

He smiles at me and pats the couch beside him. Sighing, I walk over to him and plop down on the cushion next to him, smiling when he wraps his arm around my waist. "You really didn't have to wait up for me," I say, looking up at him.

He leans down and kisses me. "I wanted to."

At the gratitude I feel, I kiss him back. We haven't actually had a lot of alone time since we've started dating and after a few kisses George pulls back.

"What's up?" I ask him.

"Just wondering where your boundaries are," he replies, moving so he's facing me better. I grin at him as he gestures with his head for me to scoot down the couch more. I do as he suggests with a raised eyebrow and he rolls his eyes at me as he slowly lays half on top of me, using his right hand to brush a strand of hair out of my face.

His lips meet mine once more and just he brings his tongue to touch mine, someone clears their throat making both of us jump, and me fall on the floor.

"Asshole," I mutter, throwing a pillow at a laughing Fred from where I'm sitting on the floor now. "Why aren't you sleeping?" I ask, glaring at him.

He shrugs, sitting down next to George who had just sat up and quickly placed a pillow in his lap, making me give him a small smile which his face reddens at.

"I can't sleep if I don't know where he is," Fred admitted, holding his hand out to help me back on the couch. "Call it habit."

I nod at him from the cushion to his right. With a sigh, I lean my head on his shoulder and close my eyes.

"So feeling any better?" Fred asks me, draping his arm around my shoulders.

I shrug as much as I can from my current position and I can feel the couch shift. Opening my eyes, I see George stand.

"I'm knackered, Tay. I'm falling asleep," he says, "and so are you."

Fred laughs and helps me up from the couch. "I'd carry you but we can't get up the stairs without a broom."

I nod at him, trying to stifle a yawn as George walks up to me and places a kiss on my forehead. "Good night."

"'Night," I reply and Fred leans down to kiss my cheek. "You too."

He smiles at me and I head to my dorm for some very deep sleeping.

****


	14. Topher and Altercations

****

"You sure you don't mind this?"

"Toph, actually tutoring you, no, I do not mind," I reply from across the library table. "What I mind, is you asking me if I mind."

He stares at me. "Why are you in such a bad mood?"

I close the book in front of me and sigh. "Ron," I reply. "He's pissed at Harry because he was made a champion and Ron thinks that Harry did it as another way to be popular."

"But he didn't," Toph says confused. "Harry didn't even enter himself. He told me that walking back from the meeting."

"Well Ron doesn't believe Harry and he's jealous of him."

"Well then he's being dumb," Toph says. "Harry needs him."

"No kidding."

Toph flips through his book for a few moments before looking back up at me. "Do you think you could help me through the tournament?" he asks slowly. "You're way more adept at dueling and curses."

"Am I allowed to help you?"

He nods at me. "You just can't help me in any task." 

"Sure then," I say with a shrug. "Whatever keeps you alive."

Toph frowns as I pull a piece of parchment out of my bag. "What did I tell you about that?"

I shrug at him and begin a letter to Sirius, not sure if Harry has written to him yet.

When I finish the note, I realize that Toph is still on the same page as when I had started. "You're worse than Harry and Ron, I think."

He smiles at me. "This is boring and we've been working for over two hours now, can we go outside or something?"

"Only if you want to run," I reply. "I need to do something since there's no Quidditch."

"Fine by me," he replies, packing up his bag. I pack my things up as well, tucking the note to my father into one of my books so I can remember to send it out. The castle is fairly empty as it's a Sunday and most people are doing homework or relaxing in their common room. We step outside into the crisp air and make our way down the stone steps to the Hogwarts grounds.

"Leave our stuff here then?" I ask, gesturing to a flat rock.

"Sounds good."

I nod at him and take my bag off my shoulder, laying it on the rock. Toph and I both decide to take our cloaks and over shirts off; Toph choosing to take his undershirt off as well. As I remove my button down Toph takes a moment to watch me and I roll my eyes at him.

"As I said over the summer. Each year; more and more a perve."

"What can I say?" he asks softly with a shrug, "as _I_ said over the summer, I can see what Oli saw in you."

"Well," I say, beginning to stretch, "I have a boyfriend and I dated your brother, so forget it."

"And if I don't want to?"

"That's your issue."

He smiles at me. "Ready then?"

I nod at him and we begin jogging at a steady pace, following the worn path around the castle.

"So how are things with you and Weasley?" he asks as we round a corner.

"Pretty good," I reply. "No complaints."

"More of a relationship than you had with Oli?"

I can't help giving a small laugh. "You can say that. "How about you? Any girls in your life?"

He shakes his head at me. "Well one," he admits, "but she's not interested."

"And why not?" I ask, giving him a playful shove.

"Why don't you tell me?"

I stop running on the spot and look at him in surprise.

"What?" he asks me.

"I thought you were joking!" I exclaim.

His face turns slightly red and he shrugs.

"I-…" I'm not even sure what I want to say to him. Having dated Oliver, Toph and I have gotten incredibly close. I've never even considered him more than a friend. "I'm happy with George, Toph," I say slowly.

He nods at me. "I know."

"Does Oliver know?"

Shrugging at me again he sighs. "I don't think so. I think he just thinks I'm joking to get a rise out of him. Sorry…I don't want things awkward. I just assumed you already knew."

"Hey," I say, walking over to him. "You're one of my best friends. I care about you a lot and this doesn't change anything…let's just pretend this conversation never happened, and not let George know as I'm tutoring you…and things will be fine."

He gives me a smile and I pull him into a hug. "Now come on," I say, pulling away. "Let's see if you can keep up with me."

Toph scoffs at me as I take off, and quickly catches back up with me. We run nearly side by side on the path until we're cut off by a group of students from Durmstrang. Toph and I stop short and nearly collide with the boy in the front and in trying to avoid them, we crash into each other, falling to the ground.

"Do you need help?" A strongly German accented voice says from above me.

I look at Krum's outstretch hand before allowing him to pull me up. I then turn to Toph and allow him up.

"Thanks," I tell Krum. "Taylor Black."

He nods at me. "Viktor Krum." He turns to Toph. "You are a Hogwarts Champion, yes?"

Toph nods and extends his hand. "Christopher Wood."

I watch as Krum shakes his hand and then turns back to me. "Your father is Sirius Black?"

Germany isn't even far enough to get away from my name and story, apparently.

"Yeah," I reply coldly.

He frowns and gives a small shrug. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"No," I reply with a sigh. "Don't worry about it."

He nods and looks between the two of us. "It was nice to meet you. I will be seeing you around."

Toph and I both say goodbye before we begin jogging again.

"He seems…personable," Toph says with a laugh, turning around to jog backwards and look to Krum. "What do you think?"

"I don't like judging people on first meetings," I reply as he turns around to run normally. "But he doesn't seem too egotistical. He did stop to help us up."

He nods in agreement and we continue the rest of our run in silence, meeting back up with the flat stone where we had placed our belongings. Pushing my bag and clothing aside, I stretch across the rock, watching the clouds pass by.

"It's getting cold," Toph says, sitting down on the rock beside me.

"It's also nearly Winter," I reply, rolling my eyes, and leaning myself up on my elbows.

"Weasleys," Toph says, nodding to the left. I follow his eyesight and see Fred, George, and to my surprise Ron, heading towards us. I can see George taking in what both Toph and I are wearing before he gets close to us.

"Hey," I say with a small smile.

"What are you two up to?" Fred asks, glancing over to the Durmstrang ship.

"Went for a bit of a run after me tutoring," Toph replies. "What better to do on a lovely Sunday morning?"

I laugh and stand up, grabbing my shirt off the stone and putting it on. "Well I, as usual, have left all my work to the last minute, and have McGonagall's paper to write still."

George raises an eyebrow at me. "I thought you only did every third assignment for her?"

I shrug, draping my cloak over my shoulder and placing the strap of my bag over it. "I told McGonagall over the summer what I typically do with assignments and she wasn't pleased. Instead of giving me detentions, she just took to lecturing me, so I decided to just write them over having to listen to her go on and on about my wasted education."

"See you guys," I say to Fred, Ron and Toph, who decided to remain outside. George follows me back into the castle until the Great Hall.

"I'll see you at dinner," he tells me. "Mishap in Charms on Friday got me a detention."

I give him a smile before he leans down to kiss me. I watch him as he walks away and turn towards Gryffindor tower.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0**

"Just ignore him," I tell Harry, rolling my eyes at Draco. Draco smiles at me and walks further away from Hagrid's hut as Hagrid joins us for class telling us that we'll be walking the Blast-Ended Skrewts.

"Take this thing for a walk?" Draco asks in disgust. "And where exactly are we supposed to fix the leash? Around the sting, the blasting end, or the sucker?"

"The middle, you prat," I tell him, walking over to the Skrewt closest to him and taking the leash from Draco's hand. "Honestly."

He smirks at me and bends down to help. "I'm not that dumb," he says, helping me feed the leash under the creature. "I just like giving him a hard time."

"No kidding," I reply, looking over to where Hagrid currently has Harry in conversation. "He's not a bad person," I tell him, shaking my head. "Just a bit…slow."

Draco shrugs as we hook the leash around the Skrewt and I hand him the end to it. As soon as I hand him the leash the Skrewt's end explodes and Draco is dragged several feet forward. He glares at me when I am unable to stop laughing.

"Funny," he says sarcastically. "Real funny."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You okay?"

Harry shrugs, taking a sip from his orange juice, hardly haven taking a bite of his breakfast. I follow his eyesight and give a small smile. "Toph knows that you didn't put your name in the goblet."

"Sure," he replies. "But the rest of the school thinks I did. I mean- I understand why Ravenclaw would be mad at me, even if it wasn't my fault- I took some of their glory away being a second champion. But I have no choice to do this."

"You'll be fine," I tell him, not sure that I completely believe it. "I'm helping Toph with some basic dueling skills and I could help you as well."

He nods and then sighs before looking away from Toph. "He looks like a champion, you know?"

"He does a good job pretending, Harry," I say softly and Hermione looks at him with sympathy from across the table. Ron was at the other end of the table with Dean and Seamus. "I assure you, on the inside he's a wreck… when he's not signing autographs for his fan girls."

Harry gives a small laugh at this statement and I ruffle his hair. "We're here for you," I tell him, looking towards Hermione. "And Ron will be once he comes back around…besides," I say with a smile. "It's time for double potions."

He groans as he stands from the table. "Couldn't you just kill me now?" Harry asks as Toph walks by, giving us a wave, his usual gang of girls trailing behind him.

"Where's the fun in that?" I ask as we walk out of the Hall.

When we get to the dungeons, each member of Slytherin is sporting a large badge on their robes. I look to Draco for an explanation and he gives a small smirk, raising an eyebrow at me. Each badge had the same message, glowing in red letters _"Support Christopher Wood- the real Hogwarts champion!"_

"Like them Potter?" Draco asks loudly as we got closer. "And this isn't all they do- look!"

He presses the badge against his chest and the writing is replaced by a new green message reading _"Potter stinks."_

The Slytherins all howl with laughter, changing their messages to read the same as well.

"Really witty," Hermione says sarcastically, rolling her eyes. "Very funny."

"Want one Granger?" Draco says, holding a badge out to her. "I've got loads. But don't touch my hand, now. I've just washed it, you see; don't want a Mudblood sliming it up."

Instantly, Harry draws his wand on Draco, and Draco gives a small smirk, slowly drawing his own wand. "Go on, then, Potter. Moody's not here to look after you now- do it, if you've got the guts-" 

"Guys," I say fiercely, and they both look at me for a split second before acting at the same time.

Harry's _Furnunculus _spell hits Goyle in the face, and Draco's _Densaugeo_ hits Hermione. Goyle's face is instantly covered in boils and Hermione's teeth start growing at an alarming rate.

"And what is all this noise about?" Snape asks, walking into view.

"Potter attacked me and hit Goyle," Draco says pointing to Goyle. Snape takes a look at his face and sends him to the hospital wing.

"Malfoy hit Hermione," Ron yells, bringing Snape's attention to her. Snape looks coldly at Hermione before stating "I see no difference."

As Hermione runs away crying me, Harry and Ron all yell at Snape at the same time, masking out mostly what each of us were saying to him. I don't care how he acts with me with Hermione being a friend of mine, he has no way to treat a student the way he does sometime.

"Let's see," he says softly. "Fifty points from Gryffindor and a detention each for Weasley, Potter and Black. Now get inside or it will be a week's worth of detentions."

I must have not moved quickly enough inside because Snape smirks at me. "A week's worth it is, Black."

Glaring at him still, I walk inside, taking a seat next to Neville who looks grateful to have me at his cauldron as we'll be making antidotes.

Through class, I can feel Snape looking at me, and I ignore him completely, concentrating on the antidote that Neville and I were brewing. Neville doesn't seem as bad a potion's student when I'm working with him, probably because he knows that Snape likes me. He's actually not too bad when we're paired together as long as I keep an eye on what he does.

Colin Creevey enters the room about a half hour into class asking to take Harry upstairs for pictures, which just makes Snape more upset as there is still an hour left to class.

"Potter- take your bag and get out of my sight!" Snape finally yells and is quiet for the remainder of class.

Snape calls Ron and I to the front of class and waits until the room empties before talking to us. "You three are to report here at 7:00 tomorrow night. Black, we'll discuss the rest of your detentions then."

"Can't wait," I reply sarcastically before walking out of the room, Ron behind me. Once we get several feet away from Snape's door I round on Ron. "Harry needs you," I tell him and he rolls his eyes, walking past me.

I glare at him before catching up to him and grabbing the front of his robes, pushing him against the stone wall. "You're being stupid. If you know anything about Harry you should know by now that he hates his fame. He didn't enter his name, someone else did, and the only reason someone else would enter his name is if they wanted something to happen to him. Get over it."

As I let go of Ron, Fred, George and Lee walk down the hall, on their way to class, each of them giving both me and Ron calculating looks.

"What's up?" George asks, looking between the two of us.

I shake my head at him. "Nothing," I reply, walking out of the hall.

****


	15. The First Task

****

"I'm not going to be ready by Tuesday," Toph tells me, closing the book of charms in front of him. "Three days?"

"You sound like Harry," I tell him. "At least you knew what you were getting yourself into. You don't even know what the first task is, Toph… for all you know, you'll do fine." 

"It's nearly time for Hogsmeade," he says, taking out his pocket watch. "Call it a day?"

I nod at him. We had been going over pretty much every charm starting with those from year one and moving upwards. We're only at year three, currently.

"Going with George?" Toph asks me.

I shake my head at him. "Lunch with Remus, but before that I'm spending some time with Draco."

"Why?" he asks.

"You know why."

He shrugs at me, standing from the table. "Brother or not, a pillock is a pillock. You do know that Oli and I have an older brother, right?"

"Sure," I reply, looking at him closely as I stand. Oliver had told me he had two brothers during my first year, but I've never met their other brother, and nor do I know his name.

"Well," Toph says slowly, leading me out of the library. "He's a muggle, Danny, like our dad. All three of us were close, inseparable, before Oli got his Hogwarts letter, and when I got mine Danny hardly ever talked to the both of us. He's two years older than Oli, so it's not like he's that much older than me, but he likes to pretend that he is. He's working at some Muggle bank firm now- far away from home, and hardly ever comes back, not even for holiday."

"I mean, I can understand," Toph says as we make our way to the grounds. "He's the only one of us that takes after dad instead of mum, but still. We're family, you know?"

"Yeah," I say softly, not sure what else to reply.

"Well have a good time today," Toph says with a smile as Draco walks towards me. "See you later."

I watch Toph as he leaves and joins up with Cho Chang, a girl in Ravenclaw a year younger than him, and on the Quidditch team.

"You two seemed a bit serious," Draco says as we join the rest of the students who are walking to the village.

"Family talk," I reply.

He nods at me. "Yours or his?"

"His, for a change," I reply with a smile.

We walk for a bit and stop in Hogsmeade, contemplating where to go. "Three Broomsticks?" I ask him.

"Sounds good," Draco says as we turn towards the pub. "Wood worried about Tuesday?"

"A bit," I reply, kicking a stray rock in the path. "Not as worried as Harry, but I think that's understandable, as at least Toph entered himself. And Toph doesn't have most of Hogwarts looking for him to fail."

Draco gives a short snicker before stopping himself. "Sorry," he mutters, opening the door for me.

I roll my eyes at him before stepping inside. Hermione is sitting by herself at a back table, but by the look of her talking to herself, Harry's with her and under his cloak. George, Fred, Ron and Lee are at a table near the door and both Fred and George send me a wave. I wave back at them before taking a seat at the table behind them.

"Butter-beer?" Draco asks me.

I nod at him and turn around in the booth when he walks away. "What are you guys up to?" I ask, watching Lee spin a knut around on the table.

"Not too much," George replies. "What are you and Malfoy up to?"

"About the same," I reply. "We'll probably hang out here for a while and then split up. You still coming with me for lunch with Remus?"

"Of course. Half hour, right?"

"Yup," I reply as Draco sits back down.

Draco hands me a butter-beer and I smile. "Why thank you."

"Don't mention it," he replies, taking a sip from his bottle. "Weasley going with you when you meet Lupin?"

"Yeah," I reply. "I don't really want to meet him alone yet."

He's cut off from replying as a large grey owl lands on the table in front of me, sticking its leg out for me to untie it.

"What's Charlie writing to you for?"

I look at Fred in confusion, unrolling the letter to see that sure enough, it's from his brother.

"Not a clue," I reply, reading the note quickly.

_Taylor,_

_Be in front of the post office at three thirty and have Ginny with you ONLY. _

_It's worth it,_

_Charlie._

I turn the note over and dig a pencil out of my bag writing _I'll be there _on the other side before sending the owl back out.

"Well?" Fred asks. Ron and George are also looking at me for an answer.

"Later," I reply, much to their annoyance.

"You should get going," Draco says to me, looking to the clock over my shoulder. "Glinda's is on the other side of the village. It will take you a good ten minutes to get over there."

I sigh, finishing the last bit of my butter-beer before standing. "Ready?" I ask George. He nods at me and wraps his arm around my waist as we leave the pub.

"So what did Charlie want?" he asks me once we're out the door.

"Nope," I reply with a smile. "If he wanted you to know he would have told you as well."

He pouts, thinking that it will make me tell him, and I roll my eyes at him before stepping on my tip-toes to place a kiss on his cheek. "Sorry. Blame your brother, not me."

George laughs in response, pulling me tighter to him. We walk through the village in silence, watching the students walk by along with the wizarding inhabitants.

At the front door of the restaurant, I pause, taking a deep breath before walking in, George behind me. The restaurant is fairly new to the village and I've never been in it before.

"Can I help you?"

I look at the hostess and nod. "We're meeting a Remus Lupin here?"

She smiles at me and points to a back table. George places a hand on my lower back and leads me to the back of the restaurant. Remus stands and pulls me into a tight hug before turning to George.

"It's nice to see you Professor Lupin," George says, shaking his hand.

"Remus, Mr. Weasley."

"George, Remus." George says with a smile, making Remus laugh.

"Very well."

We all sit down at the table and Remus gives me a small, awkward, smile. "So how have you been?"

"Fine."

He nods for a second before shaking his head. "Now without lying."

"I don't know," I tell him honestly. "Really… two of my best friends are in the tournament, and Harry shouldn't even have been able to be in it. Between that and Moody acting odd as shit, I really just don't know."

Remus looks quickly at George and glances around the restaurant to make sure that no one is listening. "Have you heard from… Padfoot, at all?"

"Says he's coming north. Harry and I are meeting him in the fire tonight."

The waitress comes by and gets our drink orders, and once she's summoned them to the table, she takes our lunch orders. I grab Remus' wrist from across the table to read the time and let go. "I have to be out of here at quarter past three… it's two thirty now."

"Where do you have to be?" Remus asked. "Not detention?"

"That's at seven," I reply with a smile. "Just meeting up with Ginny by three thirty."

He nods and begins asking me about my schoolwork. When he can't seem to get the answers that he wants out of me, he starts talking with George. Our lunch comes and we finish by ten past three.

"I'm sorry I can't stay longer," I tell Remus awkwardly. "But I promised."

"I understand," he tells me, standing so he can give me a hug goodbye. He pulls away a small bit so that I have to look him in the eyes. "Take care of yourself, okay Taylor?"

"Sure dad."

He smiles at me and shakes George's hand before walking out of the restaurant. George and I walk out behind him and stop at the front door. "Leaving me?" he asks.

"I am afraid so," I reply, turning to face him. "I have to find your sister."

He nods, leaning down to place a kiss on my lips. I give him a kiss back before making my way towards the post office. Ginny is leaning against the wall of the building until she sees me and makes her way towards me.

"Any clue what this is about?" she asks with a raised eyebrow.

"None," I reply.

"Taylor? Ginny?"

We turn towards the blonde man that was approaching us. He was tall and looked to be in his twenties.

"Hey, I'm Jordan. Charlie sent me to get the two of you."

"Where is he?" Ginny asks, looking at him skeptically.

Jordan smiles. "On the castle grounds. He's a bit busy at the moment and asked if I might be willing to meet the two of you. Come on."

Ginny and I look at each other before deciding to follow the man. "You have no idea what this is about?" I ask her.

She shakes her head at me. "Nope. I didn't even know he was at the castle."

We follow Jordan in silence as he leads us far into Hogwarts grounds and around the forest to the point where both the castle and lake were no longer visible.

"Um Jordan?" I say and he ignores me with a small laugh.

He leads us around one last clump of trees and Ginny and I stop short, four dragons in an enclosure, their mouths about fifty feet above us.

"Holy-"

"Shit," I finish, looking to Ginny. It looks as if the dragons have been given some type of tranquilizer as the attitude of the thirty-somewhat trainers all seem relaxed, and the dragons are hardly moving. Three out of the four seem to be asleep.

"Over here!"

Charlie gestures us over to the right of the enclosure where he's just walked out of a large tent. Jordon gives us a smile before walking in the opposite direction.

"How was Hogsmeade?" Charlie asks the two of us, after giving us each a tight hug.

"Great," Ginny says, and I nod in agreement. "Are these for the first task?" Ginny asks with a worried expression on her face.

Charlie nods. "One for each of the champions. They're not supposed to know until the task, so you can't tell Harry," he says. "Or Wood," he adds, looking especially to me.

I nod and Charlie purses his lips. "How are they?"

"They're fine," I reply. "Nervous."

"I just hope they're still fine after facing this lot," he says, gesturing to the dragons. "I didn't dare tell Mum what Harry's got to do for the first task; she's already having kittens about him…" He pauses to imitate Mrs. Weasley's voice. _"How could they let him enter that tournament, he's much too young! I tought they were all safe, I thought there was going to be an age limit!"_ She was in floods after that _Daily Prophet_ article about him. _'He still cries about his parents! Oh bless him, I never knew!"_

"He doesn't" I tell Charlie, rolling my eyes. "That Skeeter woman made most of the article up. Harry is quite peeved about it."

"I figured as much," he says with a nod. "I've had my own run-ins with her over Dragon regulation. It seems she thinks it's a wizard's right to own a dragon."

"That's crazy," Ginny replies, and thinking back to Hagrid and his dragon in my first year, I have to agree with her.

Charlie looks to me and raises an eyebrow. "How are things with George?"

"Good," I tell him. "I had lunch with him and Remus before coming here. Thank you for getting me out of that earlier than I would have been."

Both he and Ginny give a small laugh. "So," Charlie says, looking between the two of us. "You guys want to stay for dinner? I already owled Dumbledore and he said it's fine."

"Sure," Ginny says, looking around their camp. "Jordan coming back?" she asks with a small smile.

Charlie rolls his eyes at her. "Girls are pathetic."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

I look at the clock on the wall and bite my bottom lip. Harry isn't back yet and we're supposed to be meeting my father in front of the fire in fifteen minutes. I look into the flames and jump; my father's face is staring at me.

"You're early," I tell him. "By fifteen minutes. Harry isn't back from meeting Hagrid yet."

"I know," he replies. "I checked in and saw you though, and thought that you and I could talk for a bit in private first."

"And if I don't want to talk?"

"Give me a chance, Ady."

"Ady," I repeat slowly. "I can't remember being called that."

He looks at me in confusion. "Remus has never called you Ady?"

"I go by Taylor, actually," I tell him. "Typically. Dumbledore's taken to calling me Adara, and Remus will do it sometimes if he's being over-characteristically serious with me."

He nods at me in understanding. "How have you been? You were supposed to meet with Remus today, right?"

"Yeah. I brought George. I didn't feel like going alone."

"The Weasley boy?"

"My boyfriend."

He smiles. "I was worried about you. That spending time with my mother would turn you away from the light. It's good to see that you've made good decisions. Like being close to the Weasleys. I'm proud of you."

"You might want to hold that thought," I tell him, once more glancing at the clock.

"What do you mean by that?"

I shrug. "I just mean, I may be more tainted than you seem to think."

"If you're just attempting to upset me, it isn't going to work."

Before I can respond, Harry comes rushing though the portrait hole. "You two should have some alone time," I tell my father, standing from the couch. "A riveting conversation as always, Sirius," I tell him and turn towards Harry, nodding at him before making my way up to my room.

****


	16. Getting Past the Dragon

****

"I'm not going to make it through Tuesday," Harry says, shaking his head. He had dragged me and Hermione out to the lake to tell us about his conversation with my father and that he found out that the first task would be dragons. "Dragons," he repeats.

"And you said that Maxine and Karkaroff both know?" I ask him with a frown.

He nods at me.

"Will you tell Toph?" I ask him. "I'm not supposed to know… well neither are you but I'm not supposed to help him at all… Let all four of you be on equal footing?"

"That's a good idea," Hermione agrees as Harry nods, promising me that he'll let Toph know as soon as he can catch up with him outside of the Great Hall.

"You two going to do some spell research?" I ask as we turn back towards the castle.

"More than likely," Hermione says, "but we'll probably be done by the time you're out of Snape's detention."

"See you at lunch then," I tell them, walking towards a side door and leaving them on the grounds.

"Miss Black."

"Yes?" I ask Moody.

"I understand that you have detention with Snape," he tells me slowly. "I have convinced him to allow you to serve out your detention in my care."

"Wonderful," I reply, following him down the hall and to the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom where he shuts the door close behind me.

"I thought that I might give you a reprieve from Snape," Moody tells me as he sits behind his desk, as if I have something to be grateful for.

"I like Snape."

He nods slowly. "Snape," he states. "Is a Death Eater."

When I don't reply, he raises the eyebrow of his normal eye. "You don't seem surprised."

"What's your point?"

"You're in Gryffindor," he says, "yet you are the last of the Black line and you have a close relationship with a known Death Eater… I was under the impression that you were raised by one of Dumbledore's largest supporters."

"Along with being born to one."

He doesn't say anything for a moment before asking me how I learned Occlumency.

"Snape helped me a bit," I tell him. "But I did a lot of reading and personal meditation. I thought that it could be useful to know."

"You thought right," he says with a nod and a slight smirk. "You can go back to your common room now."

I decide not to question him. With one final look at Moody, I stand and walk out of his classroom. I don't care how unworried Snape or Dumbledore is; there is something definitely wrong with Moody.

****

"I need help."

I raise an eyebrow at Toph, who has just sat himself across from me at the Gryffindor table. "No kidding," I say with a smile.

"I'm thinking he means more specific," George says, reaching across me for an apple.

"Much more," Toph replies, glancing down the table where Harry is in conversation with Hermione. He smiles for a group of girls and leans across the table once they walk away, giggling.

"That's repulsive, you know."

"They won't leave me alone," he says. "They don't get the hint that I'm not interested…seriously Tay, I need you."

"What's up?"

He looks at George who quickly looks away to start a conversation with Fred. "Harry told me about the first task. The dragons. I- I don't know what to do."

I nod at him. "Harry said something about needing to get past one," he continues. "I was thinking maybe a distraction?"

"Like transfiguration?"

"Yeah," he replies. "But it would need to be an animal or something, so it could move on its own… and I'm not excellent on transfiguring inanimate objects to life. And I need to be. By tomorrow."

"Well," I say with a frown. "I have class until dinner, and I have a detention with McGonagall immediately following dinner…"

"What did you do this time?" Fred asks me. I hadn't noticed that he and George had stopped talking.

I shrug in response. "Showed off, is what I believe she said."

"How so?"

"We were turning fowl into grown birds," I reply. "Apparently she though an ostrich was too much… how about during dinner, then?"

"Thank you so much," Toph says, gratefully. "Where?"

"How about McGonagall's? I'd say there's a good chance she'd let me help you further over keeping my detention if she walked in on me helping you."

Toph nods and gets up to join his own table. "Sorry," I tell George, noticing his pout. "After he and Harry both make it through tomorrow- I'll make it up to you."

"I just haven't seen you much lately," he says with a small shrug.

"I know. Just- after tomorrow."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Are you sure it's okay we're here?"

I can't help rolling my eyes at him. "Seriously Toph, that goblet chose you for a reason. Can you at least _pretend_ that you're not a pansy?"

I don't need to look behind me to know that he's glaring at me. When I have McGonagall's room lit up I turn back to him. "Show me what you got," I say with a smirk, hopping up on the front of McGonagall's desk.

He sighs before taking his robe off and grabs a brick from a table on the side of the room, placing it on the ground in front of him. I watch as he rolls his sleeves up to his elbows before taking his wand out of the robe he had discarded behind him on a chair. He closes his eyes for a few moments before flicking his wrist.

Whatever he had tried to do, certainly didn't work. At least not completely. "I suppose that's a start," I say him with a small smile, watching the half brick and half pig attempt to move around on the floor. Only the back half of the brick had been transfigured, so the pig was pushing its brick half forward.

"What did I get myself into?"

"You'll be fine, Toph. Once you put your mind to something, you're great at it… look at all the charms and hexes that we've gone through already."

"Still," he says, gesturing down at the brick-pig where it has wedged itself in a corner. "I'm not prepared for tomorrow."

"You will be," I tell him, summoning the brick back so it was in front of us.

"It's really just concentration." I think about what the rest of the pig should look like and with a small wave of my wand, the pig is complete. "You have to believe that it will be a pig. Concentrate on what a pig looks like. _Believe_ in yourself and that it _will _be a pig… and it will… you just have to have faith in yourself."

"Right."

"I have faith in you."

When he smiles I transfigure the pig back into a brick. "Your turn."

He thinks for a moment before attempting again. This time, I can't contain my laughter at the outcome. Toph has attempted to transfigure a dove, only where there should be feet, it still brick. The dove is trying to fly away but its feet are too heavy for it to move. Toph has covered his face with his hands, shaking his head.

"What is going on in here?"

Immediately I stop laughing, being startled out of it by McGonagall's voice.

"Transfiguration?"

She looks at me, then at the squawking bird-brick on the floor, and then finally at Toph.

"Mr. Wood?"

He shrugs. "I um… I asked Taylor for some help?"

"Well, continue," she says, gesturing me off her desk. McGonagall sits behind her desk and watches the two of us intently.

Toph bites his bottom lip, looking back down at the bird with a frown.

"You can't be nervous now," I tell him softly. "It's just going to be worse tomorrow. You can do this. Just believe in yourself."

He nods and with one more attempt he's able to fully transfigure the bird.

"See?" I say with a smile. "You can do this. How big do you think you want to transfigure?"

Sighing, Toph sits down at a desk, clearly thinking hard. "It's going to have to be big. Like a dog… a Labrador?"

"Well it's all the same. If you can transfigure something small like a brick, you can transfigure something big, like the professor's desk."

"Don't even think about it," McGonagall tells me, making my grin larger.

"It is a pretty desk," I say, nodding. "I can understand not wanting it touched."

She gives me a calculating look for a moment before smiling. "Your father actually transfigured this for me. Along with James Potter, after a prank of theirs blew up my original desk."

"Yeah, he's charming," I reply sarcastically before turning back to Toph. "So a Labrador?"

****


	17. Approaching the Yule Ball

****

"You okay?"

I don't answer George, looking across the lake into the darkness. He sits beside me and lays my copy of the Marauder's map in front of us.

"You're missing Harry's party."

Sighing, I turn to him. "He's lucky all he got was a scratch."

"But that _is_ all he got. And Wood's fine too."

"For now."

"Hey," he says, placing his hand under my chin so I have to look him in the eyes. "They're going to be okay."

I nod and lean into his kiss. After a few moments, he pulls away slightly, resting his hand on my face. "I love you, Taylor."

He cuts me off before I can reply, not that I know what I was going to say. "You don't have to say it back. I just want you to know how I feel. Because I do. Love you. And I have for a while."

"Now what do you say we go congratulate Harry?" he asks with a slightly embarrassed grin.

"Okay," I reply softly.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

December brought both wind and sleet to the castle. I don't understand how Durmstrang could remain on that ship in the middle of the lake. It has to be freezing inside. The weather hasn't stopped me much in continuing running, but it's getting near there.

"Potter! Weasley! _Will you pay attention?"_

I jump awake at McGonagall's voice and turn to where the class is looking at both Harry and Ron. Apparently they had decided to have a sword fight under their desks with a couple of Fred and George's fake wands.

"Now that Potter and Weasley have been kind enough to act their age," McGonagall says, with an angry look that I thought she reserved only for me, "I have something to say to you all."

"The Yule Ball is approaching- a traditional part of the Triwizard Tournament and an opportunity for us to socialize with our foreign guests. Now, the ball will be open only to fourth years and above- although you may invite a younger student if you wish-"

When Lavender and Parvati start giggling, I tune out the rest of what McGonagall says about the ball. Draco's father is expecting me to go with him, and word will get out if we don't go together. Doing anything to upset Lucius Malfoy is not a good idea, and it could possibly lead to him finding out that Narcissa is my mother. In which case he might kill her. Or me.

But George…

"Taylor?"

I jump at Hermione's voice and notice that the classroom is filing out. "Sorry," I say, following her out of the room.

"What's wrong?"

I look at her for a moment before deciding that she might just be the most levelheaded person that I could talk to.

I wait until I am sure that Lavender and Parvati aren't joining us in our room before sitting down on my bed and turning to Hermione. "Draco."

"What about him?" she asks me slowly.

"You know he's more than my cousin, don't you?"

She purses her lips and nods at me. "He's your half-brother, isn't he? But I know that his mother and your father are cousins, so I don't understand-"

"I was a product to simply keep the Black line alive. My grandmother wanted a pureblood, and as long as my father produced one for her, he stayed in the inheritance."

Hermione nods at me and I continue. "Draco's father doesn't know. He can't. If he ever found out he'd probably kill my mother. Or me. Or both, even."

"He expects Draco and I to be going to the dance together, and eventually, to be married."

"Oh."

"Yeah."

"Have you talked to George?"

I shake my head at her. "I- I can't tell him about Draco. Not that he's anything more than my cousin. It just wouldn't end well… and Fred would take it even worse."

"Are you sure?"

"No," I reply, honestly. "But I just can't tell him with how much he hates Draco. All I ever have to do is mention his name and things get all tense between us. He wants me to stop being his friend. I can't imagine what he'd say or do if he found out that Draco and I have the same mother."

"So when are you going to talk to him?"

"Tonight," I tell her, nodding. "Tonight."

****


	18. The Yule Ball

****

"I need to talk to you," I tell George. "Alone," I add, looking at Fred.

Fred wiggles his eyebrows at me before jumping up from the table that they were both sitting at and joins Lee a few tables over in the common room.

"What's up?"

When I don't reply right away, attempting to sort out what I am going to say to him, he places his hand on top of mine.

"Just say it."

"I can't go with you to the ball."

He stares at me for a moment before nodding. "And why's that?" he asks, in a slow and very controlled voice.

"I-…I have to go with Draco."

"Malfoy?" he asks me loudly, gaining the attention of most of the common room. He notices this and stands, gesturing me out of the common room and into the hall.

"Why on earth would you _have_ to go with him?" he asks, quite angry.

"I can't really explain it," I tell him. "His father expects us to go together so-"

He stares at me. "He's a Death Eater!"

"I know!" I counter back. "Which is why you should understand that I can't just say no and have everything be okay!"

"Sure you can," he replies." Why on earth would you listen to a Death Eater to begin with? The only people who go along with what they want are their followers. You're not a follower of you-know-who, so- say no."

"It's not that easy, George."

"Why not?"

"I can't really tell you… I just can't upset Lucius."

"Lucius?" he asks me. "You're on a first name basis with Malfoy?

"My family-"

"Is evil!"

I can feel tears forming in my eyes. I knew he wouldn't like the idea, but I thought he'd eventually give in and be okay with it. "George…"

He shakes his head at me. "No."

"I have to."

"I don't believe that," he tells me. "Choose. Me or him."

"What are you saying?"

George pauses before replying. "I'm saying, if you go with Malfoy- we're done."

"I'm sorry," I tell him before quickly turning away and walking down the hall.

I'm able to contain my tears until I'm in the owlery and then I break down, hugging my knees to my chest as I sit on the cold hard stone floor. I hate myself for crying, but George isn't just a friend of boyfriend, he's always been there for me. And I need him. Especially with both Harry and Toph in the tournament, and Remus and I only just starting to talk again. Not to mention my father just…being.

After several minutes, I'm finally able to stop myself from crying, holding my sleeves against my eyes.

"Thought I might find you here."

"Go away," I tell Fred, not bothering to look at him at all.

He doesn't respond and when I moved my cloak from my face I see that he's leaning up against the wall across from me.

"Shouldn't you be with your brother?"

Fred shrugs. "He's a bit pissed at the moment. Refuses to talk at all. Shut himself away in his bed."

"So you thought you'd bother me?" I ask him with a glare.

"Judging by what we could hear through the portrait," he says slowly. "I thought you might need me more at the moment."

"I don't"

"Yeah," he says sarcastically. "It looks like you're fine… He'll get over it."

I shake my head at him. "I don't care," I say softly. "If he expects me to choose between having him or Draco in my life, well he can go to hell. I explained to him that going to the Ball with Draco wasn't my idea, which should be the only thing that matters, and he didn't care."

"So what then?" Fred asks. "You two are through?"

"That's up to him," I reply. "If he can get over his own pigheadedness."

Fred doesn't reply at all. Without a word, he walks over to me, squeezing my shoulder before leaving me to myself.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Evil, he is," Ron says bitterly about Snape. "Springing a test on us on the last day. Ruining the last bit of term with a whole lot of studying.

I look over at Ron from my potions book. Hermione and I both share an annoyed look as he continues building a card castle out of his Exploding Snap pack.

"Mmm…," Hermione replies. "You're not exactly straining yourself, though, are you?"

Ron ignores her and goes back to building his castle. I have half a mind to give the table a shove just to watch Ron's reaction when it explodes on him.

"Worried about the test?"

I give Hermione a short laugh. "Not at all. I'm not reading on antidotes."

She shakes her head at me as Ron places the last two cards on top of his castle, causing it to explode and singe both his eyebrows.

"Nice look, Ron…go well with your dress robes, that will."

I glance up only slightly as Fred and George join us at the table, intently keeping my eyes on the page. George and I haven't so much as approached each other let alone speak to each other.

"Ron, can we borrow Pigwidgeon?" Fred asks.

"No, he's off delivering a letter," Ron replies. "Why?"

"Because _we_ want to send a letter, you stupid great prat," George replies sounding quite annoyed.

I tune out of their conversation until Fred gets on Harry and Ron's case about not having dates to the Ball.

"Who're you going with, then? Ron asks.

"Angelina," Fred replies at the same moment as George says "Alicia."

I meet eyes with him for the first time since we broke up before shutting my book and leaving the common room.

Not paying too much attention to where I was going, I end up in the charms hallway.

"Hey you."

"Hey," I reply, looking at Toph. "What are you doing here?"

"Needed out of the common room," he replies. "I asked Cho Chang to the dance and now I feel like she's always staring at me."

I can't help but laugh. "That's what happens when you ask a groupie out. Oli should have warned you about that."

He shakes his head at me starts walking down the hall in the direction that I had come from, but I follow him anyway.

"So what has you about the castle alone?" he asks, concern evident in his voice.

"George asked Alicia to the Ball."

Toph nods. "You think he did that to piss you off?"

"Yeah," I reply. "She's liked him for ages, and everyone knows it."

"And you want to get back together with him."

"Well yeah, but I certainly can't choose him over Draco. I shouldn't _have_ to choose."

He shakes his head, agreeing with me. "I'm sorry."

I roll my eyes at him. "It's not your fault. Besides- I'm used to my life being a mess."

"It'll work out," he tells me. "He'd be stupid to let you go."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"You look fine," I tell Hermione for about the hundredth time. "If you didn't want to be in the spotlight you shouldn't have said yes to Krum." I ignore the glare she sends my way and finish charming my hair to fall in proper looking ringlets unlike my typical hair.

She finishes fussing over her own hair and turns to me. "Are you okay?"

"I wish people would stop asking me that," I reply, irritably.

We had spent most of the afternoon with Harry, Ron, Ginny, Fred and George, but when George made a show of kissing Alicia under the mistletoe, I had had enough, and charmed several well-sized snowballs to continuously pelt him in the back of the head. When I had refused to call them off, McGonagall assigned me a week of detentions starting immediately after holiday break was over.

"Then give a truthful answer."

I roll my eyes at Hermione and walk out the door, meeting Harry and Ron at the bottom of the staircase. "Hermione's going to be a bit," I tell them and gesture them away from the staircase.

To my right, George and Alicia laugh about something, and I quickly look away, catching Fred's eye. He frowns and walks over to me. I tell Harry and Ron to leave without me, and Fred walks me over to a corner.

"I'm sorry," he says lamely. "I don't know what he's doing. He doesn't like Alicia like that. You're the only girl he's talked about in three years… he wants you back, Tay."

"Well he's got a funny way of showing it," I reply, watching as George links his arm with Alicia's. "I have to go meet Draco," I tell him before walking away from him and heading towards the Great Hall.

I find Draco just as he, Crabbe, and Goyle are climbing the dungeon steps.

"You look nice," I tell him, taking in his black velvet dress robes. "You can certainly clean up well when you care or have to."

"Very funny," he replies. "You don't look so back yourself. What did your Gryffindorks say about your emerald robes?"

"Nothing," I reply with a smile.

The doors to the Hall open and Draco holds his elbow out to me. "Ready for some more incestuous dancing?" he asks with a smirk.

I start laughing and am shushed by Flitwick as the school Champions join the judges at the head table. Harry looks incredibly nervous, and I know that Toph is just as nervous, he's just not showing it as much.

"What did Granger do to get with Krum?" Draco asks me as we sit at a table across from Blaise and Pansy.

"Not a clue," I reply.

We're more or less quiet through dinner. I choose to ignore Pansy as she goes on and on about who is with who, and who could have done better. She sends a look to Draco when she states that many of the Slytherins are going with people beneath them. I have half a mind to curse her.

Dumbledore stands and asks us all to do the same. When we do, he banishes the tables and chairs against the walls, leaving room for a dance floor. The Weird Sisters then walk onto the stage and begin a slow song to which the champions begin dancing to.

Draco leads me out onto the dance floor once the school starts to join the champions and places my hands where they should be before leading me in the dance.

"I take it you haven't made up yet?" Draco asks, following my eyes to where they were watching George and Alicia dancing very close to each other.

I shake my head at him, tearing my eyes away.

"I would have chosen me too."

"You're an ass," I tell Draco with a laugh.

The song stops and after a bit of applause, the Weird Sisters start with a faster song. "Come on," Draco says, taking my hand again. "Keep your mind off things."

After a few songs, I leave Draco to spend some time with his Slytherin friends and walk up to a table off to the side where Harry and Ron were sitting.

"Where are your dates?" I ask them with a grin.

Harry ignores my question and I follow his eyes. "Toph doesn't like her more than a friend."

He looks at me surprised and embarrassed but is saved from commenting back when Hermione joins us. I pay little attention to the argument that she and Ron have over Krum and watch George instead, only looking away when Hermione storms away from the table. When Percy approaches the table I take it as my cue to leave, and stand from the table, walking over to where Toph had just passed Chang off to another guy.

"Such a nice date, you are," I tell him with a grin.

"Fuck off," he mutters. "This is so- demeaning. Putting us on a pedestal and making others watch us dance."

"Awww, poor Topher. All upset he has to dance in front of people instead of making a fool of himself in a task."

He glares at me and I can't help laughing.

"It's five of twelve," he tells me, glancing at his watch. "Save me the last dance?"

"Sure," I reply just as the Weird Sisters start their final song, a slow one.

Toph smiles at me, taking my hand and leading me onto the dance floor. "So how are you doing? Really?" he asks me, placing his hands around my waist. I shrug in return, as best as I can with my hands around his neck.

"You going to bed after this?" he asks me when I don't answer.

"I probably won't be able to fall asleep," I admit. "Why?"

He thinks for a moment, looking towards where the professors were starting to gather. "Meet me in the library?"

"Why?"

"Why not?"

"Okay," I reply and he smiles, leaning down to kiss my forehead as the Weird Sisters play their final note.

"See you later," he tells me as he walks away to say goodnight to Chang.

Not being able to get over to the other side of the Hall, I simply wave goodbye to Draco before heading back to the common room. As is my luck that I get to witness George and Alicia's goodnight make out session at the foot of the boy staircase.

Although George does look sorry when he sees me. He nearly looks like he's about to say something to me before I rush up the stairs to change before meeting Toph. Deciding that I can always use an excuse of wanting to talk to Snape, I just dress in pajamas before walking back down the stairs.

Fred and George are sitting on the couch in conversation and stop talking when they see me.

"Where are you going?" Fred asks, looking me up and down. I hadn't bothered to un-charm my hair or remove makeup, so I'm assuming I look pretty odd.

"Out," I reply, unfolding the map I was holding. From the looks of it Toph was already nearing the library.

"I-"

George stops attempting to talk when I look at him with a glare.

"Don't wait up for me," I tell Fred before heading out of the common room.

****


	19. Christmas Gifts

****

"I expected you here before me," Toph says when I join him against the wall in the far corner of the library. "With me being a pansy and all."

"Got held up by Filch," I explain, folding my map back up and placing it on the shelf behind me.

"What happened?" he asks me, attempting to look into my eyes. "You seem more peeved than you were when you left the Ball."

"Saw George and Alicia snogging in the common room," I reply.

"He know you were there?"

I shake my head. "He seemed genuinely surprised to see me when they stopped and looked like he was about to say something, but I walked away before he could."

"Why don't you get him back?" he asks with a raised eyebrow. "I'm willing."

"You also like me," I reply, rolling my eyes.

"And Alicia likes George."

"You just want to kiss me."

"Maybe."

He leans in and for a while I kiss him back, before stopping myself. "This is only going to hurt you, Toph. Nothing's going to come of it."

"I know," he replies. "But it won't hurt me. One night. Just friends."

Against my better judgment, and as I'm royally pissed at George, I go with it. "Consider this part of your Christmas gift," I tell him before leaning in to kiss him.

"You too," he replies and I can feel him smile into our kiss before he maneuvers me to the floor.

****

I study the map closely before stepping out into the hall. It's about four in the morning, so no one is wondering the halls yet and I make it back to Gryffindor tower without any problem other than having to wake the Fat Lady up.

"Hey."

I nearly trip up the stairs, the voice startles me so much.

"Fuck you scared me," I say, placing my hand in front of my heart before noticing that the voice had come from George who was now out of his dress robes and in pajamas, and by the look of it, had waited for me to get back.

"Sorry," he says awkwardly. "I think we should talk."

I nod at him, sitting down on the couch beside him, instantly covering my face when I see the copy of the Marauder's map that he and Fred gave Harry, on the table in front of him.

"I-"

"Don't," he says quickly, making me look up at him. "It's not important. I know that you were just trying to hurt me like I was trying to hurt you. But I'm done. I love you Taylor. _Adara_. I want this over with."

I nod at him. "Then I should probably tell you something."

"If it's about Wood I don't want to hea-"

"It's not about Toph… it's about Draco."

George doesn't reply, waiting for me to continue. "He's not just my cousin," I tell him slowly. "He's my half brother… I have to stay on Lucius' good side because he doesn't know. Drawing too much negative attention from him would be bad if he ever decided to look into my being more. If he finds out that his wife is my mother he could possibly kill her or, or even kill me… I had to go with Draco."

After several moments in silence, George finally speaks. "Why didn't you just tell me?"

"With the way that you love Draco?" I ask with a laugh. "You threw my family back in my face when we were arguing and you thought he was only my cousin then. I didn't want to risk it… and I didn't think you'd give me an ultimatum."

"I'm sorry."

"So am I," I tell him. "Especially about tonight. Toph-"

He shakes his head and I stop talking. "That never happened."

"I suppose that means I can look past Alicia," I say with a small smile.

"Suppose?"

I shrug and he smiles at me, leaning down to place a kiss on my lips. "So are we a we again?"

"Yeah, I think so," I reply, attempting to hide a yawn.

"Good," he replies, wrapping his arm around my waist. "I missed you."

"Mmm," I reply, letting my eyes drift close.

****


	20. Padfoot

****

"Boo."

I glare at Fred from where I just sat up on the couch before rubbing my eyes. "What time is it?" I ask, looking at where George is still sleeping.

"Nearly ten," he replies, also looking at his brother. He turns to me with a raised eyebrow. "I take it you two are back together?"

"Yeah," I reply and he nods at me.

"I thought that showing him the map might wake him up."

"You showed him the map?" I ask Fred in confusion. "Why?"

He shrugs at me. "He was trying to hurt you and, knowing how you are, I thought that you might attempt to hurt him as well... seeing as he deserved it, and… well I wasn't wrong, was I?"

"Hey," Fred says when I look down at my hands. "I wasn't trying to insult you. I know that you don't have feelings for Wood at all…well _that_ Wood."

I shake my head at him, giving him a small smile as he continues.

"You see Wood as a brother. Like Harry. I know you don't want anything more from him, and so does George. I knew that if he saw what you were doing he'd come to his senses…it was his own fault."

Smiling at Fred, I give him a long hug. "Thanks Freddy," I tell him. "And since when are you the sensible one?"

"Since I had to be."

"Mmmm?"

We both turn to George who had just woken up from where he was still laying on the couch. He rubs his eyes and stretches before sitting up on the couch and looking back and forth between Fred and I. "What's up?"

"Just talking," I reply as both Colin and Dennis skip down the stairs.

"Hi guys!" the both say to us in unison and me, Fred and George all mutter hello back.

"What do you have there?" Fred asks them, looking at the bundles in their hands.

They look at each other with large grins before coming over to the couch. "Pictures!" Colin says, holding out a stack of photographs. "Dumbledore let me go to the Ball if I took pictures. There are some of you near the back," he tells me with a grin. "You can have any you want. We have negatives."

"Thanks," I reply, flipping through the pictures until I find several of me. Both Fred and George lean over me to look as well. Colin managed to get a few of me and Draco dancing, one of me with Harry and Ron, and a final one of me dancing with Toph.

"I like that one," Colin says.

I nod at him, taking the pictures of me and handing him back the rest of them. "Thanks, Creevey."

"So," George says, looking as Harry, Hermione and Ron make their way over to us. "Breakfast?"

"Sounds good," I reply before running upstairs to change into robes.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

_Ady,_

_Dumbledore has informed me that there is a Hogsmeade visit this weekend. I am in the area. Be at the stile at the end of the road out of the village at two o'clock. Do not yet tell Harry that I am around. I do not want to distract him from the tournament with worry. Please bring as much food as you can,_

_Padfoot._

I read the note over once more with a frown.

"Are you ready?" George asks me from my bed, his broomstick in front of him. If anything, us breaking up had brought George and I closer. And other than George talking to Toph to let him know that he's not going to curse him or anything, nothing about Alicia or Toph has been mentioned.

"No," I reply with a frown, looking over the two backpacks filled with food from the kitchen at the foot of my bed.

He smiles at me and stands. "I'm going to be with you," he tells me, wrapping his arms around me and looking me in the eyes. "It'll be fine. The man's your father; you have to give him a chance to be in your life."

"I'd like to debate that," I mutter as he steps away from me and lifts the bag onto his back and grabbing his broom.

"Come on," he tells me before flying down the staircase.

Sighing, I swing the bag onto my back and follow him down the staircase and into the common room. We decided to leave a bit later than everyone else so that Harry, Ron and Hermione would have a lesser chance of seeing me and George meeting up with my father.

I wait for him at the portrait hole as he brings his broom back up to his room. He takes my hand as we walk out of the common room and holds onto it for our entire walk into the village.

"It's quarter of," George says, looking at the village clock.

"Then we have time for me to buy some chocolate," I tell him, turning towards Honeyduke's.

"You didn't get enough from Tonks?"

"No," I reply. "She sends me Muggle sweets, not just chocolate. And I want chocolate."

George laughs at me and follows me into the shop, picking up a few sweets from himself as well.

"Come on, Tay," he says when we step back outside, hugging his cloak close to him.

"Yeah, I know," I reply, taking his hand in mine and following him to the end of the road. "I'd really rather not be doing this."

He's cut off from saying anything by the bark of a dog. Waiting by a fence is my father in his animagus form, his tail wagging behind him.

"Joy," I say sarcastically, walking over to him. "Snuffles."

He barks again and turns around, leading us down the path that met the foot of the mountain. I turn to George and he smiles, gesturing his head towards my father before following him. I shake my head before doing the same. He leads us to the foot of the mountain before leading up the mountain itself and through a narrow entrance and into a cool and dimly lit cave. Tethered at the end of the cave was Buckbeak.

I walk over to Buckbeak as my father transforms back into himself behind me. I bow, and after hesitating, Buckbeak bows back to me before I pet him.

Turning around, I look my father up and down. "Well you look like shit," I tell him, taking my bag off and tossing it to him. He's in the same ragged grey robes that he had been wearing after escaping from Azkaban. His hair is longer and he is thinner than he had been.

"I've been living off rats mostly," he replies, digging through the bag and finding the chicken legs. "Can't steal too much food from Hogsmeade, I'd draw attention to myself."

I don't reply and he turns to George. "George, right?" he asks through a mouthful of food.

"Yeah," George replies awkwardly. "Um- it's nice to meet you Mr. Black."

"Sirius."

"Sirius," George repeats, glancing at me.

"So, _Sirius," _I say, sitting down on a flat rock jutting out of the cave, "what brings me to your…humble cave?"

He drinks out of the container of pumpkin juice we had packed and just looks at me for a few moments.

"I thought our last conversation could have gone better," he tells me, sitting down on a rock across from me.

I shrug and George sits down beside me after placing his bag beside mine on the floor of the cave. "So what do you want to talk about?"

"You," he replies simply. "What do you like, what do you dislike, how do you do in school, how long have you two been dating, just… whatever you want to mention."

"It isn't that easy," I tell him. "Me telling you that… I like to go running to clear my head and I can't stand the sound that quills make on parchment hardly gets the two of us closer."

"Then tell me something deeper. Your biggest fear or the worst thing you ever did or…anything. I'm trying here, Adara."

He is trying, but it doesn't make any of this any easier for me. He's not going to simply fill the void that Remus not really being around has made. My father or not.

"Fine," I say, looking him straight in the eyes. "My biggest fear? Getting close to people. And then losing them. It's happened enough in my life that I'm pretty guarded around people. And as for the worst thing I've ever done? Well… when I was six, I killed a boy."

My father stares at me, not responding for several moments. "Um…killed?"

"Yeah."

He nods, pursing his lips. "How?"

"I was mad at him and caused him to drown."

I should possibly tell him that the boy had raped me, but I really don't want to get into it. I can tell that George wants to say something more on the matter, but he doesn't. Of course, he knows what had happened, having read my journal, but he says nothing about it to my father.

"Remus never men-"

"Remus doesn't know. It happened a bit before he took me in." I pause and then shrug. "Told you I was tainted."

"Doesn't matter," he replies. "You were six and it was accidental."

"Try telling that to the muggle boy who never made it past fourteen."

He purses his lips once more before looking down at his hands which are clasped in his hand.

"I told you this was a bad idea," I tell George and my father stands, walking towards me. He stops walking and looks at me for a moment before walking to the front of the cave.

"I am not expecting you to ever forgive me for not being in your life," he says, kicking a stray rock down the mountain. "But I'd like for you to allow me to be in it now. Sure, it's not an ideal condition, but it's not going to get much better at the moment."

"I'm here, aren't I?" I reply. "I may be here at George's insistence, but I'm still here. And I write to you. If you expect me to just welcome you into my life with open arms, well sorry, that's not going to happen.

He nods and turns back to me, still nodding. "How's Harry doing?" he asks, leaning against the cave wall.

"Okay," I tell him with a shrug. "He's nervous and not confident in himself, but Ron and Hermione are a pretty good support system. As are you," I add.

"And how about you?" he asks. "How are you doing?"

"Overall, I guess I'm okay," I reply. "Not being close to Remus is a bit of a change, and I don't like this tournament at all, but I'm alright."

"And you two? How are you guys doing?"

I look at George with a small smile. "Been better, been worse."

"Yeah?" my father asks, looking at George.

"We broke up before Christmas and got back together just a few days ago," George answers awkwardly. "It was… a misunderstanding."

"Well you two seem happy now," he states, looking back and forth between the two of us before looking at George closely. "I used to be pretty close to your parents," he says slowly. "They're good people. I'm glad that you and Taylor are close if you're anything like the two of them."

I roll my eyes at him and George laughs.

"Oh, I know you're a rule-breaker," my father says, sitting back down on his original rock. "Remus has informed me about the both of your school antics, along with your brother's. He said you three would have given me and James a run for our money."

"Me and Fred are the ones who get detentions for antics," George replies. "Taylor here just needs to keep her mouth shut… and to stop showing off."

"Sounds like me," my father replies with a laugh. "My main problem was always my mouth. And temper…"

"Yup," George says, giving me a large smile. "Sounds about right."

"Funny," I say, sarcastically. "Real funny."

"It's true."

"Whatever."

My father looks out the cave and sighs. "It's beginning to get dark. You two should be getting out of here."

"It's fine," I tell him with a shrug. "No one's after _us_; just Harry. And believe me, professors are used to us not being in by curfew… so what's a rat taste like?" I ask him with a small smirk.

"Not like chicken, that's for sure."

When he laughs, I can see his entire face warm up. He looks as he did in the picture I have of us when I was a baby. He must be able to tell that I'm studying his face because after only a few short moments of laughing; he stops.

"So um, how was the ball?" he asks me after a bit of silence. "I take it you two didn't go together?"

"No," I reply. "I went with a friend."

"Harry?"

George snickers before I can simply say no.

"Not Harry, no. He went with Pavarti Patil."

"So who'd you go with?"

I look at my father closely before answering. Wondering if me telling the truth is really worth what may follow here. "Draco Malfoy."

"Narcissa's son?" he asks me shortly.

"Yeah."

He nods for a few moments, his lips pursed together. "You two close?"

"Yeah."

"He anything like his parents?"

"You could say that."

Once more, he starts nodding, obviously not too sure what to say.

"He's my brother, Sirius."

"Half-brother."

"Still brother," I reply. "And I know that you and your brother got along fine before he took the mark, and you no longer could remain close and still be safe."

"We're not talking about me," he tells me with a slight glare.

"Oh I'm sorry… I didn't realize that you wanted me here for one sided conversation. I should have known better."

He sighs and shakes his head. "I didn't mean it that way. I'm sorry."

"I'm not stupid," I tell my father slowly. "Grandmother taught me to play the pure-blood well. The most Lucius knows is that I am your child, and the last in a line of one of the oldest pure-blooded families."

"Lucius is a very powerful and well connected man," he tells me. "Just be careful. I don't know what your aim is, but I'd be lying if I said I like the idea of you and and Malfoy being close, brother or not."

"I only met Lucius to begin with because I wanted to meet my mother."

My father rubs his eyes and then looks at me with a look that I've received many times before; pity.

"Don't look at me like that," I tell him, standing. "Things happen for a reason, and I'm not sure that there is one single event that has happened to me in my life that I would take back. Each moment I have lived through has shaped me into who I currently am…sure, some of it sucked to live through, but I'm here now, and I did live through it."

"Remus did a good job with you."

I nod in agreement. "When he was there."

"Come on," my father says, turning into his animagus form. George and I glance at each other before taking our wands out and muttering _"lumos"_ before following him out the cave.

He stops at the gate where we had met him earlier in the day. He barks at each of us before trotting back off down the trail.

"I think I put him off," I tell George, taking his hand in mine after wrapping my cloak around me tighter.

George doesn't respond right away, the crunching of our feet in the snow is the only sound as the rest of the students are all back in the castle.

"You can tell he cares a great deal about you, Tay."

"I never debated that," I reply. "But it doesn't make things any different. He doesn't like the whole of me, just the parts that he picks and chooses. The parts that remind him of himself when he was at school, and the parts that show him I'm like he and his friends were. I remind him too much of what he ran away from and if he doesn't let that go- well we'll never be okay."

George is silent for the rest of our walk back to the castle, and Snape is waiting for the both of us at the entrance hall.

"Evening professor," I say sweetly and he glares at me.

"I have been waiting for you two to get back for three hours now," he tells us bitterly. "Under orders from the headmaster who has informed me that punishment won't be necessary, but I am to escort you to your tower."

"Oh lovely," I reply. "Our own personal esc-"

I'm cut off from finishing my statement by a loud wailing.

"Wands out," Snape says sharply, heading towards the sound. George and I follow behind him closely.

"Filch?" Snape asks, getting to the staircase where Filch is holding a golden egg. "What's going on?"

"It's Peeves, professor," Filch whispers. "He threw this egg down the stairs."

Snape quickly climbs the stairs and I nudge George. On one of the steps is a copy of the Marauder's map. "Harry," I whisper to him, looking around the hall and staircase for where Harry might be, ignoring what Snape and Filch were saying to each other.

"Filch, I don't give a damn about that wretched poltergeist!"

_Clunk. Clunk. Clunk._

"Pajama party is it?" Moody asks, walking out of the hallway to our right, looking around at each of us. His eyes rest on a spot to Snape's left. I forgot Moody can see through invisibility cloaks.

I had tuned out in their conversation and look back to Snape as he tells Moody that Dumbledore trusts him, and certainly wouldn't give Moody permission to search his office.

"'Course Dumbledore trusts you," Moody growls in return. "He's a trusting man, isn't he? Believes in second chances. But me- I say there are some spots that don't come off, Snape. Spots that never come off, d'you know what I mean?"

Snape nearly instantly clutches his left forearm where I know his Dark Mark is, and Moody laughs. "Get back to bed, Snape."

It's then that Snape sees the Marauder Map on the floor, and his eyes shoot to me. "Potter."

"Um- Black, sir," I tell him, hoping to distract him from finding Harry.

"Potter!" Snape says again, this time looking to Moody. "That egg is Potter's egg. That piece of parchment belongs to Potter. I've seen it before, I recognize it! Potter is here! Potter, in his invisibility cloak."

We all watch as Snape stretches his arms out in attempt to feel where Harry is hiding.

"There's nothing there, Snape!" Moody growls. "But I'll be happy to tell the headmaster how quickly your mind jumped to Harry Potter."

"Meaning what?" Snape asks, turning back to Moody.

"Meaning that Dumbledore's very interested to know who's got it in for that boy!" Moody tells him, limping to the foot of the stairs. "And so am I, Snape… very interested…"

Snape lowers his arms and tells Moody that he was simply thinking that Harry should be in bed after curfew. "I think I will go back to bed," he says before looking back to George and I. "Come on."

"Actually, professor," I say looking at Snape before glancing at Moody. "I'd actually like to ask professor Moody a question about an assignment if you don't mind- now that we're all up."

"Very well," Snape replies curtly. "Weasley- with me."

George follows Snape and once Moody gets the egg away from Filch, Filch takes off down an opposite hall. I look at Moody and follow him up the stairs towards Harry.

"Close shave, Potter," he mutters.

"Yeah.. I- er… thanks," Harry replies awkwardly.

I remain quiet as I follow Moody and Harry to Moody's office, listening to their conversation about the Marauder's Map closely. Apparently Barty Crouch had attempted to sneak into Snape's office earlier, which helps accounts for his more than typical poor demeanor.

"Oh if there's one thing I hate," Moody tells Harry, looking to the left hand side of the map, where I know the dungeons to be, "it's a Death Eater who walked free…"

I roll my eyes and apparently Moody's magical eye sees it because he turns his head towards me for a moment before turning back to Harry and asking if he can borrow the map from him, stating that he could make good use of it.

Harry agrees and we walk in silence until Moody's office. "You ever thought of a career as an Auror, Potter?"

"No," Harry says quickly.

"You want to consider it," Moody says, looking at Harry closely. "Yes indeed. See you in the morning, Potter," Moody says, opening his office door. "Come on in, Black."

****


	21. The Second Task

****

He seems to have collected a few more Dark finders than the last time I was in his office. "Nice foe glass," I tell him, looking at the dark shadows swirling around in the glass.

"Can I help you with something?"

I stare at him. Originally I had just wanted to make sure that Harry was okay. I didn't really have anything in particular to say to him, but now that I'm here…

"You're different."

He stares at me from the seat behind his desk. "What are you on about?"

"That's just it," I tell him, shaking my head. "It doesn't matter, because no one believes me, but you _are_ different. Senility, whatever."

Moody folds the map shut, giving me his full attention.

"What?" I ask him, getting unnerved by his staring.

"What side are you on?"

"Does it matter?" I ask him return. "The world is not split into good people and Death Eaters."

"You sound like Dumbledore."

"It's true."

"You might not be one to consider being an auror with that view."

I laugh at him. "I wasn't planning on it."

"Right," Moody replies with a critical look. "Can't be catching Death Eaters _and_ befriending them. Doesn't work that way."

"Maybe I want my options open," I tell him, looking for any sort of typical reaction, and receiving a smile instead.

"That's what I'm talking about," I say, shaking my head.

"You're an interesting girl," he tells me. "You didn't like my comment about Death Eaters going free, did you?"

"I like Snape."

"You haven't had too many people care about you, have you?"

I glare at him. "You could say that."

"Snape is a coward," he tells me. "He got scared and ran to Dumbledore. A Death Eater is supposed to be a Death Eater for life. There are vows."

"I've yet to meet a Death Eater that isn't a coward," I tell him slowly, watching his reaction closely. "Most hide behind the ministry."

He nods at me with a small smile. "You are very right."

We stare at each other for a few moments in silence before he stands. "Let's get you back to your tower," he tells me, motioning to the door.

I follow him without a sound, only speaking when he drops me off at the portrait and I need to tell the Fat Lady the password. Both Harry and George are waiting for me on the couch before the fire.

"You okay?" Harry asks me when he notices I've walked in. "What was that about? Taking with Moody?"

I shrug at him and sit down on an arm chair. "That man is not normal."

"What did you talk about?" George asks.

"Snape."

"Snape said Moody searched his office," Harry says. "What was he looking for?"

"Not a clue," I reply. "Voldemort?"

George flinches and I can't help smiling at him. "If you guys don't mind," I tell then. "I think I'm going to go to sleep now. Enough excitement for one day." I walk over to the couch and give George a quick kiss goodnight, and place a kiss on Harry's forehead as well before heading up the girl's staircase.

****

"I sent Sirius a letter," Harry tells me, leaning across the table at the library where we were researching how to breathe under water. Toph said he had it covered, so I was helping Harry, Ron and Hermione. "About what happened with Moody and how Moody said Dumbledore had given Snape a second chance…this is what he sent back."

I look at the note and raise an eyebrow. "Well it seems my dear father is back near the grounds."

"Oh this is no use," Hermione says, shutting the copy of _Weird Wizarding Dilemmas_ that she had been reading through. "Who on earth wants to make their nose hair grow into ringlets?"

"I wouldn't mind," Fred says, emerging from a bookshelf with George. "Be a talking point, wouldn't it?"

"What are you two doing here?" Ron asks.

"Looking for you," George replies. "McGonagall wants you, Ron. And you guys too, Hermione, Tay."

"Why?" Hermione asks, looking surprised.

"Dunno… she was looking a bit grim, though." Fred says.

"We're supposed to take you down to her office," George adds.

"We'll meet you back in the common room, Harry," I tell him, looking at George. He shrugs as I stand, wrapping his arm around me and steering me out of the library.

"No clue what this is about?"

"Nope," Fred answers. "We were just told to get you three and make sure you got to McGonagall's office."

"And here we must depart you," George says before leaning down to kiss my cheek and leaving with Fred down the hall.

I look at both Hermione and Ron before knocking on the large oak door and being told to enter by McGonagall's curt voice.

"Sit down," she tells us, gesturing to the three empty chairs placed before her desk.

Raising an eyebrow, I sit down in the first chair, Hermione to my left, and Ron to her left.

"You three are needed for the next tournament task. The champions will have to swim through the lake and retrieve what they hold dearest- one of you- before the allotted time period. You are all perfectly safe and will be in a sleep the entire time until you reach the lake's surface."

"I'm sorry," I say slowly. "But what they hold dearest?"

McGonagall gives me a slight smile. "That is right Ms. Black. Mr. Potter will be retrieving Mr. Weasley. Mr. Krum will be retrieving Ms. Granger, and Mr. Wood will be retrieving you."

"And the French girl?" I ask, ignoring Hermione who was blushing beside me and avoiding Ron's eyes.

"Ms. Delacour will be retrieving her little sister, who is already in a bewitched sleep to your left."

Sure enough, a small girl was asleep on a bottom bed of two sets of bunks that had been set up in the back of her office.

"What happens if we're not got to in time?" Ron asks, looking slightly worried.

"You all will be safe," McGonagall says. "Now get to a bed."

"I suppose we can't refuse?"

She sends me a glare. "Most certainly not."

I nod at her and stand, climbing to the bed above the small girl.

****


	22. Karkaroff and the Dark Lord

****

"You and I," I tell Toph through the cheering as he helps me out of the water. "Are going to have a long and thorough talk. Very soon."

He grins at me as we're ushered away from the lake and towards Madam Pomfrey who is waiting for us in a tent with blankets.

"You're first?" I ask Toph, looking around.

"Seems that way," he replies, still not able to contain his smile.

I glare at him and he rolls his eyes at me. "You can't be mad at me," he tells me, "just because I happen to care about you. I am sorry, but the only person who has a reason to be even slightly upset at me is Weasley. And maybe my brother…"

"Maybe?" I ask him, wrapping the blanket tightly around myself as Pomfrey makes sure that Toph has sustained no injuries.

"About this," Toph says with a shrug. "I wasn't mentioning after the Ball."

"Fair point," I reply, looking towards the lake where Krum had just emerged with Hermione. I refuse the pepper-up potion that Pomfrey was attempting to hand me.

"Do you regret it?"

I look at Toph closely and after a few moments I shake my head. "No. It was fun. Had between two friends. Besides," I add, looking to the Gryffindor stands. "It brought me and George back together, which I'm sure you could care less about, but he means a lot to me."

"I know," Toph replies. "We could never be more than friends anyway," he tells me. "My brother would kill me."

"More than he would knowing that you've slept with me?"

"Let's not talk about that," Toph says with a laugh.

Toph and I watch as Delacour emerges from the lake and attempts to dive back in, yelling about her sister. It is only shortly after she's ushered to the tent that Harry appears with Ron and Delacour's sister, making me shake my head.

"He was the first one down there," Toph tells me. "Wanted to save everyone."

"Typical."

Ludo Bagman's voice fills the air, announcing the points to be given to the champions. Fleur Delacour is awarded 25 of the 50 points. Toph is given 47, Krum 40 and Harry is given 45.

"You and Harry are tied for first," I tell Toph.

Bagman announces that the next task will be on the twenty-fourth of June and Pomfrey ushers us all back to the castle to get us into dry clothes.

When I split up from Toph to join Harry, Ron and Hermione back to the Gryffindor tower, George nearly immediately finds me.

"So," he says, beginning to climb the staircase with me.

"What, George?" I ask. "If you have something to say, just say it."

"I don't have anything to say," he replies, and when I look up at him, he's smiling.

"You find this funny?"

"Yup."

"Why?"

He shrugs. "Little Oliver seems to have quite the crush on you."

"Yeah, hilarious," I reply, rolling my eyes as we step into the common room behind George who leads me up to his bedroom.

"You know I'd never do anything with him while we're together, right?" I ask George. "The only reason he and I slept together was because I wanted… because I wanted to hurt you like you and Alicia hurt me… and the way you reacted to me trying to explain why I had to go with Draco."

He walks over to me in reply, putting his arms around my waist and pulling me against him. "I know," he says softly. "And that's behind us."

I nod at him and wrap my arms around the back of his neck. He smiles before leaning down to kiss me and slowly leading me back to his bed.

****

We're half way through Potions when Karkaroff knocks on the door and quickly makes his way to Snape. Sitting at the front most desk with Harry, I am able to hear Karkaroff tell Snape that they need to talk.

"I'll talk to you after my lesson, Karkaroff," Snape mutters back.

"I want to talk now, while you can't slip off, Severus. You've been avoiding me."

"After the lesson," Snape snaps back at him.

Karkaroff stands behind Snapes desk for the entirety of the lesson, sending glances at Snape. He looks worried. Not Snape though, Snape looks angry.

With two minutes left in class, Harry spills his armadillo bile and I duck down behind our cauldron with him so we can hear their conversation.

"What's so urgent?" Snape hisses at Karkaroff.

"_This"_ Karkaroff replies, and craning my neck I can see that he's lifting up his left sleeve to show Snape his inner forearm. "Well?" he asks. "Do you see? It's never been this clear, never since-"

"Put it away!" Snape snarls, sweeping the classroom.

"But you must have noticed-" Karkaroff starts.

"We can talk about it later, Karkaroff!" Snape spats at him. "Potter! Black! What are you doing here?"

"Clearing up my armadillo bile," Harry quickly answers as Karkaroff turns on his heel and exits the classroom. Harry quickly throws his books into his bag and I gesture at him to leave as I stand and approach Snapes desk.

"What?"

I shrug at him, turning a green vile on his desk around to see the worn label. "I can't keep Hermione from piecing together what Harry is sure to tell her and Ron."

"Doesn't matter," he replies, walking around his desk to sit on the back of one of the student benches, his feet resting on its seat. "She won't tell another student- she'd go to Dumbledore."

"Who, alas, already knows."

He looks at me closely. "How do you know that Dumbledore knows?"

"I assume he knows most things," I reply, "but Moody had mentioned that Dumbledore gave you a second chance. Seems like a pretty big one."

"So," I say when Snape doesn't respond. "Karkaroff evil or a coward?"

Snape actually snickers. "Coward. He'll be one of the first people to disappear when the Dark Lord appears again."

"It's that dark that it's no longer an if? It's a when?"

"Safe bet," Snape replies. "Been getting darker since the beginning of summer. Remember?"

I nod at him. "I'm scared."

"You have every right to be," he tells me, standing and placing a hand at my back. "But I assure you, that as long as I am able, I will look after you."

****


	23. Padfoot and Severus Snape

****

"You've been crying," George tells me with a frown.

I had been thinking about the conversation that Snape and I had after potions, and just how scared I really am. If the Dark Lord rises to power again, there is hardly a chance that he would skip over calling me, especially with how close I am to Draco and his father. And Draco as well. And Snape would once more be a spy.

"I'm fine," I tell him. "Have you seen Ron, Harry and Hermione?"

"They said they'd meet you back up here before they left for Hogsmeade," he replies and then places his hand against my cheek. "What's wrong?"

"Just thinking too much for my own good," I tell him. "Honestly," I add, looking at Fred who had placed his hand on my arm. "I'm fine."

"Crying doesn't tend to mean fine," Fred says. "And you're not one to typically cry."

"I appreciate your concern guys, really, but I'm fine."

Neither one of them looks convinced, but Harry, Ron and Hermione emerge through the portrait hole and I wave goodbye to the two of them before walking back out of the common room with Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Sirius said to meet him at quarter of two," Harry says as we make our way tough the grounds. "You guys don't mind if I buy a present for Dobby first, do you?"

We all tell him no and one by one remove our cloaks in the very mild weather. It's definitely the warmest day of the winter and spring is on its way.

As Ron and Harry go inside Gladrags Wizard wear to find some socks for Dobby, Hermione and I stay out front of the store.

"I suppose you don't want me to ask you what's wrong?"

I look to Hermione and shrug. "Nothing new. Just worried about the future."

She nods at me and gives me a quick hug. "We're all going through it together, Tay. You're not alone."

"Right," I reply. She doesn't understand the half of it from my perspective, and as a Muggle born, I don't expect her ever to. Nor would Ron as he was raised by a family completely in the light. The most he has to worry about if becoming part of the Order, which granted, could kill him, but knowing Ron, he'd _want_ to be part of it.

"Ready?" Hermione asks Harry and Ron when they emerge from the store.

We head up the High street and past Dervish and Banges to the foot of the mountain where George and I had met my father before. And sure enough, he's waiting for us at the stile, his front paws on the top-most bar; a newspaper sticking out of his mouth.

He runs over to us as Harry says hi, sniffs his bag, and then turns back around, leading us down the path that would eventually lead up the mountain.

"What are you doing here?" Harry asks, once we're in the cave and my father is back in his human form.

"Fulfilling my duty as godfather," he replies, gnawing on a piece of chicken that Harry had brought with him. "And father," he adds, looking to me. He frowns when I meet his eyes, as I'm sure mine are still red and puffy, and I turn away, walking to the foot of the cave and sitting with my back towards them where I can still hear the conversation.

They argue for a bit on who could have stolen Harry's wand at the Quidditch cup, debating if Bagman would be more likely than Winky and I shake my head, continuing to listen.

"D'you know Crouch then?" Harry asks when the conversation gets away from Winky.

"Oh, I know Crouch alright," my father replies. "He was the one who gave the order for me to e sent to Azkaban- without a trial."

I hadn't heard this story before as my father was never a good topic to bring up around Remus. Apparently Crouch used to head the Department of Magical Law Enforcement and was tipped for the next minister of magic. Crouch had become ruthless and cruel against anyone that had even been suspected of being on the Dark Side. Including his own son who had died in Azkaban after Crouch had put him away for being a Death Eater.

I turn back around when they begin to discuss Snape.

"Snape knows Karkaroff pretty well, but he wants to keep that quiet," Ron says after my father had listed off a bunch of names of Death Eaters that Snape used to hang around with.

"Yeah, you should've seen Snape's face when Karkaroff turned up in potions!" Harry adds. "Karkaroff wanted to talk to Snape, he says Snape's been avoiding him. Karkaroff looked really worried. He showed Snape something on his arm, but I couldn't see what it was…could you, Tay?"

I don't reply and my father looks at Harry, bewildered. "He showed Snape something on his arm? Well, I have no idea what that's about…but if Karkaroff's genuinely worried and he's going to Snape for answers…and there's still the fact that Dumbledore trusts Snape, and I know Dumbledore trusts where a lot of other people wouldn't, but I just can't see him letting Snape teach at Hogwarts if he'd ever worked for Voldemort…you saw nothing?" my father asks, looking at Harry.

Harry shakes his head so they turn to me; Ron and Hermione as well.

"Doesn't matter if I saw it or not," I reply slowly, looking closely at my father, "I know what it was."

My father silences the protests of Harry and Ron with a hand, wanting to know why I didn't tell them.

"And?" he asks me.

I shrug. "You told Harry yourself that Karkaroff was a Death Eater. Did you ever think on how Death Eaters may know who they could trust? A special brand, maybe?"

"A mark?"

"A Death Mark."

"So Snape-" Harry starts and I shake my head.

"Snape, is loyal to Dumbledore."

"And how do you know that?" Ron asks me. "If Karkaroff was showing Snape his mark, that means Snape knows he was a Death Eater."

"Sirius here knew Karkaroff was a Death Eater."

"But I didn't know about the Dark Marks," my father replies.

"I do," I add. "Does that make me a Death Eater?"

"Of course not," my father replies, "but it does raise an interesting question as to how you knew about them."

"Not important," I reply.

The cave is quiet for a moment until Harry speaks up. "Karkaroff mentioned it getting darker."

I nod. "It means that the Dark Lord is getting stronger. When he's at full power the mark will be black."

"You guys should get back to the castle now," my father says, standing from where he had been leaning against the cave wall. I remain sitting as Harry, Ron and Hermione say goodbye to him, being warned not to come visit him, just write.

"I'll meet you guys back," I tell them and watch as they take off down the path back to Hogsmeade.

I watch as my father paces the space of the cave in front of me, Buckbeak following him with his eyes. After a few moments he stops and turns to me. "What are you playing at?"

"Nothing," I reply with a shrug. "You were right, Snape was once a Death Eater. But he turned to Dumbledore before the Dark Lord's downfall…he's who I stayed with this summer."

"Snape."

"Right."

"Why?"

"I didn't exactly have many options once Remus left."

He remains quiet for a few moments and then shakes his head. "To stay with him, you would have had to have been close to him for a while. You intentionally sought out a man known not only for practicing the dark arts, but for being a Death Eater…why?"

"I didn't," I tell him with a glare. "He hated me for you, not my last name, but specifically you. He treated me like shit until I let him know how I felt about you. He grew to care for me and I let him in. Dumbledore's said that the world isn't just split into good people and Death Eaters. You should already know this."

"Regulus was not a good person."

I shake my head at him and turn away. "I'll see you later," I mutter, making my way down the path.

****


	24. Be Careful

****

"How long have you been up here?"

I jump at Toph's voice from where I was sitting on the owlery floor.

"Bit cold out for a run," he states, looking at my attire. "What's up?"

"Why does something have to be wrong for me to go out for a run?" I ask him, watching as he slides down to a sitting position against the wall across from me.

"It doesn't," he tells me with a shrug. "But it helps. I know you. And I think that something is wrong. What's up?"

I shrug. "Just daddy issues." He laughs and I shake my head. "He thinks I'm Dark."

"And you know you're not."

"I don't know anything."

"No one does."

We both look up at Snape who's looking off into the distance. "Not even Dumbledore has complete certainty. Even he doubts himself and the decisions that he has made…You're fifteen. You're not supposed to know anything. It's assumed that you don't."

"Well thanks for that cheery contribution."

"You missed your classes."

"And yours wasn't one of them," I reply. "Which makes me think that you're here for a different reason."

He rolls his eyes at me and gestures me out of the owlery.

"Later," Toph says with a smirk.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Your father has a point."

I scoff at him and look around his office. Not so much as a vial of potion has changed on his shelves since my first year. He's added a few more books to his collection, but little more than that is different.

"You don't shy from the dark arts."

"Nor do you."

"And I was a Death Eater!" he nearly shouts, glancing to the closed door. "Your father gave you the opportunity at a life outside of your family name and you've basically thrown it in his face."

"His only accusation on me either being a dark witch or going towards that is you and Draco," I reply with a glare. "Right. I'm such a fucking evil person for confiding in someone that gave a shit about me and for wanting to spend time with my brother."

Snape sighs. "Do you care at all about what that Skeeter woman is writing about you?"

"Nope."

"You should."

"Why?" I ask him. "It isn't as if people don't already think I'm evil. Skeeter isn't saying anything that 90% of the people who know who I am don't already think about me. I can't convince people that I'm not evil, because generations of my family have convinced the wizarding world that I am evil."

"I asked if you cared," he replies. "Not if there was anything that you could do about it."

"What does it matter if I care if I really can't do anything about it? Skeeter lies about everything. She's made people send Hermione letters filled with curses, and Hermione has never done anything non-ethical in her life. All the stupid things she's done have been for her stupid 'greater good'…she didn't lie about me at all. All she did was point out that I come from a long line of pillocks."

He raises an eyebrow at me.

"Yeah," I reply. "I care. But there's nothing I can do about it because it's the truth. And I've been fighting it since I was born…or since my father was falsely carted off to Azkaban. Just another Black in a long line of tainted blood. Dark wizards love me and light wizards hate me.

"I've been hated all my life," I state. "I guess I like the positive attention…I also like keeping my life. You know as well as I do that I have to play both sides. My father was in the Order, and the rest of my family were Death Eaters. My birth pissed off both of those sides."

"You can't do this forever, Taylor," he tells me.

"I can't just choose a side outwardly. It's not that simple."

"It never is."

"Well I'm done with this pep talk," I state before standing. "Are we done here?"

"No."

"What then?"

He sighs and lifts up his sleeve where his Dark Mark is nearly black. "I haven't heard anything yet, but given the time frame, I'd say that-"

"Something's going to happen at the end of the Tournament," I finish.

"Be careful."

I nod at him and walk out of his office and back to the common room. "Dog Star," I say with a frown. I wait for the Fat Lady to swing open and step inside.

"So," I say, sitting myself in between Fred and George on the couch. "What's on the agenda?"

Fred yawns and leans his head on my shoulder. "Bed."

I ignore him and turn to George, raising an eyebrow. He gives me a small smile and looks towards his staircase. When I smile in return he stands and walks over to Fred, clapping him on the shoulder.

Fred slowly stands up and helps me to my feet. I smile and put my arm around his shoulders, helping him up the staircase. I let go of him at the side of his bed and he flops himself face down on his pillow.

"Come in."

I turn to George and he pats the empty space on his bed beside him. I take my shoes off and craw in beside him. He wraps his arm around me and pulls me tightly against his chest and I close my eyes.

****


	25. The Maze

****

"If Snape hadn't held me up," Harry says bitterly from in front of the window. He had just finished relaying his adventure last night with Krum and Crouch. We chose to sit in the owlery to avoid being overheard at all. "We might have got there in time. 'The Headmaster is busy, Potter…what's this rubbish, Potter? Why couldn't he have just got out of the way?"

"Maybe he didn't want you to get there!" Ron exclaims and I can't help rolling my eyes at him. "Maybe- hang on- how fast d'you reckon he could've gotten down to the forest? D'you reckon he could've beaten you and Dumbledore there?"

"Not unless he can turn himself into a bat or something," Harry says.

"Wouldn't out it past him," Ron mutters.

"Shhhh," Hermione says suddenly. Someone was climbing the steps to the owlery. I can hear Fred and George arguing and coming closer and closer.

The door slams open and Fred and George immediately stop arguing on the sight of me, Harry, Ron and Hermione sitting on the floor.

"Hey," George says, looking down at me. "What're you doing here?"

"Sending a letter," Harry replies.

"This early?"

I roll my eyes at Fred. "You're here at this hour. I left your room at four and you guys were sound asleep. It's not even seven yet."

He shrugs at me and attaches a letter to a school barn owl. "Aren't you tutoring at eight? Why aren't you at breakfast?"

"As you can see, we had stuff to do."

Fred nods in understanding and gestures me out of the owlery. George, to my confusion, stays back with Ron, Hermione and Harry.

"What's up?"

Fred looks at me but says nothing for a while. "I just want to make sure that you're okay. I'm used to you putting on a brave front, but you would always tell me what was wrong. And now you're with George, and you're tentative to talk with me."

"It's not anything against you," I reply slowly. "I haven't really been talking to anyone but Snape about anything really personal."

He nods. "You letting that Skeeter woman get to you?"

"Not really," I tell him. "It's not like she's said anything new about me."

"Doesn't mean she's right."

He puts his arm around my shoulder and pulls me close to him.

****

"You need to see what they've done to the Quidditch stadium."

Toph shakes his head and leans his chair onto its two back legs. The next tournament challenge will be getting through a maze filled with obstacles. This gives plenty of opportunity for something to go wrong.

"A maze," I repeat, tapping my quill against the library table. "You should know curses. I'm sure there will be some dark creatures you'll have to avoid or vanquish."

"We weren't told anything specific."

"How's your logic?" I ask him, thinking back to the tasks we had to get through for the Sorcerer's Stone.

"What do you mean?"

"Something like…if it is brown, it is a box. It is brown, therefore…"

"It's a box."

"Right," I reply.

"You think I'll need that?"

I shrug at him. "I don't know what you'll need. My guess is a bit of everything."

He brings his chair back down and stares at me until I look him in the eyes. "I'm not stupid," he says slowly. "I can piece small things together. Moody being here, your father risking his life to come back here and all the problems in the ministry…should I be worried about this task, Tay?"

"Yeah."

He's quiet for a moment and then suddenly stands. "Well," he states with a grin. "Time to look up curses.

****


	26. The Final Task

****

"Can we talk?"

Harry's standing next to the table I'm writing my potion's essay on. He looks nervous and straightens a few of my books that are thrown on the table.

The common room is empty apart from me and Harry. "Of course."

He sits at the chair across from me and bites his lip before saying anything. "I talked to Dumbledore earlier," he begins. "I had a dream or something in Divination and I wanted to see what he thought about it. He thinks Voldemort is coming back to power."

When I nod, he continues. "Did you know that Crouch's son was a Death Eater?"

"Yeah," I reply. "He died in Azkaban."

He nods at me, still biting his lip. "Was Snape a Death Eater?"

"I thought we already talked about this."

"You never really answered," he replies. "You just said he knew about the mark. Which you do as well, and I'm going to assume you haven't gone through any Dark ritualistic initiations."

"He was," I reply slowly. "But he's loyal to Dumbledore. Dumbledore trusts him. You should too."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

He nods at me. "Okay," he says sowly.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

When June started, both Harry and Toph started practicing hexes as much as humanly possible. The third task is tonight, just a week before the end of term. As soon as the task got close, both Harry and Toph started working harder.

As the task got closer, my father started sending both Harry and I nearly daily owls. Like Harry's, my letters are filled with warnings of being safe. The few letters I've gotten from Remus say nearly the same thing.

"Where'd Hermione go?" I ask Ron and Harry, snapping out of thought. We were at breakfast and the Daily Prophet had just come.

"Something about Skeeter and magical bugs."

I nod and look at Harry. "How are you?"

"I'm kind of ignoring it."

"I'll be there tonight," I tell him. "Right outside the maze, I mean. Moody asked me and a few other students to help if someone is in real danger."

"That makes me feel a bit better."

I tilt my head towards where McGonagall is clearly walking towards Harry. "Potter, the champions are congregating in the chamber off the Hall after breakfast. The champions families are invited to watch the third task, you know. This is simply a chance for you to greet them."

Ron and Hermione stand, having to get to history of magic, which was across the castle. My next class is Ancient Runes so I have a free block. "Want me to go with?" I ask Harry.

"Yeah," he replies. "There's no way she got the Dursleys to show up."

We walk across the hall and open the door into the chamber. Toph and his parents and Oli were just inside the door. When I see it's the Weasleys who were here for Harry, I turn towards the Woods, leaving Harry alone.

"Hey," Oli says, pulling me into a hug. "You look tired."

"Brilliant observation," I reply. "I've been helping both Harry and Toph get ready for the task, in between actually doing my class work this term."

"Worried?"

"Yup."

"You going to save Harry soon?" Toph asks me, looking towards where the Weasleys were surrounding him in the Hall.

"I should," I agree. I give him a quick hug and make my way across the Hall. I get there just as Bill asks Harry to give him a tour of the castle.

"And how are you?" Charlie asks me as I fall in behind Harry, next to Charlie.

I shrug at him and he's quiet for several moments. "You look scared."

"I am."

****

"So…on my whistle, Harry and Christopher," Bagman says, a large smile on his face. "Three- two- one-"

He gives a short blast on his whistle and they both run into the maze. I glance to Moody and he nods his head left. I nod in return and walk towards the outside of the left side of the made. The walls have been charmed so we can see through them in case we need to really help someone if they're unable to send sparks into the air by themselves.

I see Harry and Toph take opposite paths and follow Harry who takes the left most path. As Harry moves further into his path, Bagman blows the whistle again and Krum enters the maze as well. Harry speeds up and he and Toph cross paths. It looks like Toph was hit by something having the power of fire, but he seems fine. Krum turns towards me and then takes a path in the opposite direction. I jog a bit further up the wall and reach Harry as he approaches a gold mist. He fires a curse at it and before he can make another move, Fleur screams.

I spin towards her scream and hold my wand in front of me. I can see nothing wrong through the maze and I turn back to Harry who had reached an upside-down jinx. He rights himself and turns in the other direction, where a seventh year starts to tail him. I turn towards Toph, who was also heading away from me. I sigh and turn to the north side of the maze. Harry and Toph are on parallel paths. Harry suddenly stops. The roar of the crowd is too loud for me to hear what he has.

Toph suddenly falls to the ground, Krum standing not far from him. I watch as Harry runs, nearly panicked, and blows a hole through one of the walls to get to Toph. Moody appears to my right, about thirty feet away, watching the same scene that I am.

Krum begins to run when he sees Harry, and Harry stuns him. Both he and Toph stand over Krum, and Toph sends sparks in the air for Krum. They pause for a moment before starting back down the path and in different directions.

"What was that about?"

I look at David, a sixth year Ravenclaw that Moody had also placed around the maze.

"Not a clue," I reply with a frown, walking away from him and parallel to where Toph was walking. He heads down a dead end and turns back around, only to head down another dead end. He gets frustrated with himself and turns down another path, springing this time, and heading right towards the cup.

I follow him towards the left where both he and Harry are running towards the cup. A large spider is creeping out of the path towards Toph, and he doesn't notice until Harry gets his attention. They attack it together and it lifts Harry up with its teeth. The curses they've pelted it with have done no damage. Toph hits it with something and Harry drops, making it most likely the Disarming Spell. They both round and hit it at the same time with the same spell and it falls over sideways.

I roll my eyes when I see them both stand, facing the cup. They had to be arguing over who it belonged to. They argue for a good minute before deciding to both take the trophy. They both grab a handle before disappearing.

****


	27. Barty Crouch

****

Immediately I look up into the stands for Dumbledore, who has already risen to his feet, his typical stoic face showing fear. Moody comes up behind me.

"Come on, Black."

I follow Moody around the maze and to its entrance. "The cup was a portkey."

He glances at me. "Yes. You don't like me because I'm an auror and I've put members of your family in Azkaban. However, we're more alike than you could know, girl."

I give him a questioning look, but he doesn't look back down at me.

Dumbledore, McGonagall and Snape are with us in moments. Mr. Weasley, Bill and Charlie are exploring the maze.

"Are we sure it was a portkey?" McGonagall asks Dumbledore, looking frantically between Dumbledore and Moody.

For the first time ever, Snape looks scared. I watch him as he suddenly grimaces and quickly grabs his arm where his Dark Mark is. Moody nearly immediately looks to Snape as if he could feel it too.

Snape must have been called as a Death Eater to go somewhere.

Voldemort is back.

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

There's a loud bang and Harry appears from nowhere. He doesn't move; his hands clinging onto the cup and Toph. I watch as Dumbledore rushes to his side, trying to get some response out of Harry.

Harry's alert and moving. He looks confused and scared, but he's alert. Toph hasn't moved. His head is facing me, his eyes are wide open and blank.

He's dead.

I walk backwards, walking into Moody, who grasps me by the shoulders, not allowing me to go anywhere else. I'm suddenly dizzy and I can't hear anything except for my own quickening heartbeat. Harry is refusing to let go of Toph.

I'm ushered through the crowd towards Harry and we're both moved through everyone towards the castle. Harry looks at me from following Moody. His face is dirt covered and tear streaked. I wipe my eyes to find my hands soaked. I didn't even realize that I've been crying.

"What happened, Harry?"

Harry turns back to Moody and begins telling him what happened as we make our way through the grounds and into the castle. Harry tells about appearing at a graveyard and Toph being killed. I can't fully focus on his story. I just keep picturing Toph's lifeless body.

We get into Moody's office and he hands both me and Harry a cup. I take a sip and am able to breathe normally again. He must have given us both calming draughts.

They talk about Voldemort being back, and Harry having had blood taken from him to help him rise again. The Death Eaters all returned. This explains Snape's arm hurting him.

"There's a Death Eater at Hogwarts!" Harry suddenly exclaims. "There's a Death Eater here- they put my name in the Goblet of Fire, they made sure I'd get through to the end-"

Harry tried to stand but Moody pushes him back down in to his seat. "I know who the Death Eater is," Moody says slowly.

I stare at him. He's known the entire time, and has sat back and let it happen. I knew there was something wrong with him. He's turned Dark.

"Karkaroff?" Moody asks with a laugh. "Karkaroff fled tonight, when he felt the Dark Mark burn upon his arm. He betrayed too many faithful supporters of the Dark Lord to wish to meet them…but I doubt he will get far. The Dark Lord has a way of tracking down his enemies. It was I who put your name into the Goblet."

"No you didn't," Harry says, starting to sound scared again. "You didn't do that…you can't have done…"

"You're the Death Eater," I state, and both Moody and Harry turn to me.

Moody smirks before responding, telling the two of us how the Dark Lord shouldn't have forgiven any of his Death Eaters. He says that the only thing he hates more than anything is a Death Eater who walked free. The statement has a whole different meaning from the other side of the war. He says how he expected the Death Eaters to have been tortured by the Dark Lord.

Moody starts ranting about all the things he had done to help Harry through each of the tournament tasks. Moody had made sure that Harry would be the one to touch the cup. Toph was never supposed to be there. He was collateral damage by the Death Eaters.

The foe glass behind Moody was growing clearer. The fuzzy shapes that it usually held are becoming more distinct.

I clutch my wand as Moody approaches Harry. He towers over him, talking about how similar he and the Dark Lord are very similar, and both had problems with their fathers.

"He is back, Harry Potter, you did not conquer him- and now- I conquer you!"

"_Stupefy!"_ Harry and I had aimed our wands at the same time. There's a blinding flash of red light, and Moody is thrown backwards across his office, just as Dumbledore, Snape and McGonagall make their way into the office, their forms clearly visible in the Foe Glass.

The look Dumbledore is giving the unconscious Moody is one of the most frightening faces I've ever seen. Snape and McGonagall look just as angry; more than I've ever seen them look.

Dumbledore steps forward and Harry and I watch as he kicks Moody over so his head was pointing towards the ceiling. Snape follows Dumbledore and McGonagall walks over to Harry. She tries to gesture him towards the hospital wing but Dumbledore stops her.

"He will stay, Minerva, because he needs to understand." He glances at me when McGonagall changes her glance from Harry to me. "Taylor too."

Snape quickly looks to me. Apparently he hadn't noticed that I was in the room. He was more than likely looking for me at the task.

"No," I reply, starting to stand. I don't care who he is. He's a Death Eater. No wonder why he was so nice to me. He was trying to see what side I was on. I went along with him, and once he decided I was Dark, he took an interest in me. I was being recruited.

I sit back down as Snape approaches me. He kneels beside me and takes the cup from my hand, searching it for poison.

"It was just a calming drought," I tell him, half listening to Dumbledore explain to Harry that the Moody that had been in the castle all year was not the real Moody.

He takes my wrist and feels my pulse, looking at me in worry. "You're still nearing an anxiety attack," he mutters with frown. "Breathe deeply."

"Severus, please fetch me the strongest truth potion you possess, and then go down to the kitchens and bring up the house-elf called Winky. Minerva, kindly go down to Hagrid's house where you will find a large black dog sitting in the pumpkin patch. Take the dog up to my office, tell him I will be with him shortly, then come back here."

They both leave without any question to do what Dumbledore asked them to. I rest my head in my hands and do what Snape told me to as Dumbledore and Harry go through Moody's magical trunk. They find the real Moody in the largest compartment and begin discussing Polyjuice Potion.

"Crouch!"

Snape's voice makes me jump. I follow his gaze down to the floor where what used to be Moody had transformed into a pale-skinned man with medium length brown hair. Winky runs around Snape to the man on the floor.

"Master Barty, Master Barty, what is you doing here?"

Dumbledore makes the elf get out of the way and takes a vial of potion from Snape's hand. He pours just three drops of the potion into the man's mouth, and then wakes him up.

"Can you hear me?" Dumbledore asks him.

"Yes," he mutters, looking around the room.

"I would like you to tell us," Dumbledore says softly, "how you came to be here. How did you escape from Azkaban?"

Crouch begins to explain how his mother was dying, and with the use of Polyjuice Potion they were able to switch places without the Dementors knowing. She died in his body in Azkaban, and he has been living under his father's watch and control ever since. The woman that went missing over the summer, Bertha Jorkins found out, so Crouch's father put an overly powerful memory charm on her. Crouch had been with Winky at the World Cup, where he took Harry's wand from his pocket, and cast the dark mark. He describes as one day, the Dark Lord came for him.

The Dark Lord had captured Jorkins and got past the memory charm and had come back, with Wormtail, for his most trusted servant; Crouch. When his father threatened to tell the ministry what he had done all those years ago, Crouch killed him. He had waited for him to contact Dumbledore and he had stunned Krum, and killed his father.

"I've been reporting back to my Lord, letting him know those that Potter is closest to, and who might be an ally to him. He's searching already for the next generation of Death Eaters."

He gives me a twisted smile before passing back out.

****


	28. Promises

****

"Come on," Snape mutters to me. Dumbledore had told him to get Madam Pomfrey, so he decided to have me stay in the hospital wing for now. Harry was being directed to Dumbledore's office.

"Are you still light headed?"

"How did you know I was-"

"Your heartbeat," he tells me. "And your breathing. You weren't getting enough air. Breathing deeply helps regulate your air flow and keep you from passing out."

"I'm fine."

"You're not fine," he counters, looking down to where his hand is still on my wrist. He has so far refused to let go of me. "You're in shock. One of the few people you have allowed yourself to open up to and really care about is dead. Another one just nearly escaped death tonight. You were the only person to pick up on Moody not being himself this year…had just one person believed you…"

I don't reply and allow him to usher me to a vacant hospital bed. Mrs. Weasley, Bill, Ron and Hermione were already in the wing, waiting for Harry.

"How is he?" Hermione immediately asks.

I stare at her for a few seconds. "He's fine. He's Harry. Upset, but alive."

In a few moments George pokes his head through the door. He bites his lip like he typically does when he's nervous, and walks over to my bed.

He doesn't say anything and takes a seat next to my bed, clasping my hand in his.

****

Harry walks in with Dumbledore and the room goes nearly chaotic until Dumbledore quiets everyone down and asks them to leave Harry alone until he can get some rest. I can see the gratitude in Harry's face.

Pomfrey gives him a vial of Dreamless Sleeping potion and he's nearly instantly asleep. I swallow my own vial that was thrown in my face.

George has still yet to say one word to me. I follow his gaze to the foot of Harry's bed where my father, in his dog form is staring at me. I hadn't even noticed he was in the room. He gives a small whine before hopping off Harry's bed and onto mine. Before I can tell him off, he lays down beside me, resting his head on my stomach.

I can feel my father's heartbeat as I fall asleep.

What seems like only moments later, I'm scared awake by a loud yell.

Fudge and McGonagall are relaying a story to Dumbledore. McGonagall is furious because Fudge allowed a Dementor to perform a Dementor's Kiss on Crouch. Crouch can't testify anymore on the Dark Lord being in power again. He no longer has a soul.

"Look, I saw Voldemort come back!" Harry shouts, bringing me back into the conversation.

Fudge denies everything. The man is afraid to admit that the Dark Lord is back in power. Each name that Harry names off as being a Death Eater, Fudge pardons as Ministry workers and for donations to the Ministry. He finds the idea of removing the Dementors from Azkaban, as the Dementors are allies with the Death Eaters. Fudge starts shouting when Dumbledore suggests befriending the Giants.

"Insane," Fudge whispers to himself, finally backing away from Dumbledore. "Mad…"

Snape appears in the doorway just as Fudge sounds like he's about to cry. "He can't be back, Dumbledore, he just can't be…"

Snape sneers and walks up to Fudge, exposing his left forearm. "There," he says harshly. "There. The Dark Mark."

He explains to Fudge how the Dark Lord brands each of his subjects, and when the Dark Lord touches his own mark, all Death Eaters are supposed to apparate to his side.

Fudge shakes his head, not wanting to believe anything that both Dumbledore and Snape have to say to him. He awkwardly hands Harry the winnings for the tournament and then rushes out the door.

Dumbledore has Bill fetch his father, and McGonagall to get both Hagrid and Maxine. He dismisses Pomfrey to attend to Winky in Moody's office and shuts the door close behind her.

"And now," he states, "it is time for two of our number to recognize each other for what they are."

I shake my head as Dumbledore continues, "Sirius…if you could resume your usual form."

I watch as my father jumps off my bed in his dog form and quickly takes his human form. Mrs. Weasley gives a shriek of surprise and fear, but Snape hardly reacts, apart from glaring a slight bit more.

They are both made to shake hands and then Dumbledore gets serious. He tells my father to start rounding up old members of the Order. These are the people that helped fight against Voldemort the last time he was in power.

He goes to Harry first, promising him that they'll see each other very soon. Harry nods, and my father turns to me. He leans down and puts his hand against my left cheek. "Stay strong, Ady." He kisses me on the forehead before transforming back into his dog form and being let out of the hospital wing.

"Severus," Dumbledore says, turning to Snape. "You know what I must ask you to do. If you are ready…if you are prepared…"

"I am," he replies.

"No."

Everyone turns to me, but I ignore everyone but Snape. He looks scared, and paler than usual. Dumbledore was asking him to be a Death Eater again. He's going to be a spy for the Order.

He walks over to my bed, leaning down to my height like my father had done. "I'll be okay."

"No you won't," I reply, glaring at him. I can feel the tears staining my face. "Don't lie to me. You didn't apparate tonight, and you'll be punished and judged for it."

"I'll live. I promise."

I can't help myself. I start sobbing. Snape pulls me into a close hug, kissing me somewhere above my ear. He lets go and quickly leaves the room without turning back.

****


	29. The End of a Year

****

"The end," Dumbledore says, "of another year." I look up at him at the Head Table. This feast feels different. It's a lot more serious feeling than any other end of the year feast we've had.

I look down at my hands through his speech about Toph. Both Fred and George clasp one of my hands under the table, but I refuse to look at them. I can't even cry anymore. I'm so exhausted and hurt- I just don't know how to feel.

Harry suddenly raises his head towards Dumbledore and I follow, not sure what made Harry react so suddenly.

"Christopher Wood was murdered by Lord Voldemort."

Panic immediately sweeps the Great Hall. Harry catches my gaze and refuses to look away as Dumbledore continues, urging students to stay united in the troubled times in the very near future.

"Remember Christopher Wood," Dumbledore states, looking over all four tables of students. "Remember, if the time should come when you have to make a choice between what is right and what is easy, remember what happened to a boy who was good, and kind, and brave, because he strayed across the path of Lord Voldemort. Remember Christopher Wood."

**0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o**

"Where will you be?"

I can't tell you that yet," I tell Harry. He, Hermione, Ginny and Ron all give me an odd look, but none of them ask me more questions on it. Dumbledore pulled me aside after the feast and told me that he'd like me to spend the summer at my Grandmother's house. My father offered it to him as a headquarters. They each give me a hug before leaving the common room.

Fred and George clamber down their staircase and stop talking upon seeing me. Fred whispers something to George and then walks towards me.

"Hey."

I nod at him, still watching George who hasn't moved.

"You've been avoiding being anywhere near him and he doesn't know what to do. He's afraid of talking to you."

I don't respond and he pulls me against his chest. "We love you, Tay."

When he lets go of me George is by his side. Fred nods at him and walks out of the common room for the carriages.

"I don't think I can do this…us, right now."

"I know," he replies, slowly.

"You mad at me?"

He shakes his head and takes my hands in his. "You have so much that you're going through right now, Taylor."

"I don't really want to break up though," I tell him, shaking my head. "I really like this. I just…"

"Shhh," he says, resting his forehead against mine. "We don't have to break up. We can go on a break?"

He pulls away and looks me in the eyes. "Okay," I reply. He gives me a hug, and awkwardly leaves the common room. McGonagall is standing at the portrait hole.

She looks at me, pity in her eyes, and walks over to me. "You should try leaning on someone, not pulling away."

"Why?" I round on her. "So I can completely rely on a person and then have them taken from me like Toph?"

"You're scared."

"Of course I'm scared!" I nearly yell. "And you can't tell me that you aren't as well. Toph was just the beginning. You're telling me that you don't know the risk that Severus is taking, at this very moment?"

She nods at me, her lips pursed tightly together. "Don't let fear overcome you," she says quietly. "You have to stay strong. You know more than most people your age what is at stake. Let that guide you, not hinder you."

"Ready for Hogsmeade?"

I nod at her and pick up my case and Onyx's cage, and follow her out of the castle.

… … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … … …**  
**

**That's year four, folks. I have some of 5 written, but not too much. It will probably wait until I move this month, but I might post what I have so far.**

**Love you all, Tay.**


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